• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.96-104
• /
• 2006

Insamsansa-eum (Renshenshanzha-yin, ISE) is a new medicine developed to prevent and treat atherosclerotic diseases. To explore antiatherosclerotic effects of ISE, we evaluated the effects of ISE on serum lipids of hypercholesterolemic rats in vivo, as well as its antioxidant activities in vitro. In vitro, ISE showed 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radical scavenging activities, and inhibited hemolysis induced by 2,2' -azobis-2-amidinopropane dihydrochloride (AAPH) in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo, ISE significantly inhibited increase of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) values in both high cholesterol diet and Triton WR-1339 models. It also significantly inhibited decrease of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) value in the high cholesterol diet model. Collectively, our data suggest that ISE has the potential to control the risk of atherosclerosis development.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.2 s.66
• /
• pp.253-261
• /
• 2006

Backgrounds : Hyperlipidemia is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Lowering serum cholesterol levels could reduce the risk of CVD. Insamsansa-eum (Renshenshanzha-yin, ISE), composed of Ginseng Radix and Crataegii Fructus, is a new medicine developed to treat hyperlipidemia and CVD. Objectives : In this study, we intended to explore the clinical effects of ISE on patients with hypercholesterolemia, and moreover we also compared its effects according to the pattern identification. Methods : Subjects were administered ISE with the dose of 600 mg three times a day for 4 weeks. Patterns of subjects were identified with diagnostic scoring system for Yin-Yang and the condition of Excess-Deficiency before treatment. Serum lipids were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of medication. Results : ISE lowered total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), total lipid(TL), phospholipid(PL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL) significantly. Compared with the data of our previous study, it was less effective than Atorvastatin but showed equal lipids-lowering effect to Chunghyul-dan (Qingxue-dan, CHD). In Yang pattern group, ISE was less effective in lowering TG and LDL than it was in not-Yang-not-Yinpattern group. On safety assessment, there was no adverse effect, hepatic or renal toxicity. Conclusions : We suggest that ISE is a safe and useful herbal medicine for hypercholesterolemia, and moreover it could be more useful when it is used for patients with not Yang pattern.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.215-220
• /
• 2008

Hypolipidemic effect of Insamsansa-eum (ISE, Ren-Shen-Shan-Zah-Yin in Chinese) consisted of Red ginseng (RG; the steamed root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) and Crataegii fructus (CF, the fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida BGE) is used frequently in China and Korea as a herbal medicine to treat arteriosclerosis, was investigated. Treatment of ISE significantly reduced blood triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic mice and serum TG levels in corn oil-induced hypertriglyceridemic mice. ISE significantly lowered the high blood TG and TC levels as well as body and epididymal mass weights in hyperlipidemic mice induced by long-term feeding of a high-fat diet and increased blood HDL cholesterol level. ISE and its ingredients, RG and CF, inhibited pancreatic lipase and HMG-CoA reductase activities. Of its ingredients, RG reduced the blood TC level and HMG-CoA reductase activity more than CF. CF reduced blood TG level and pancreatic lipase activity more than RG. These finding suggest that the antihyperlipidemic effect of ISE may be due to synergistic inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase and pancreatic lipase by RG and CF, and that ISE may be effective hypolipidemic agents.