Abstract

Introduction

Materials & Methods

Results

Discussion & Conclusion

References

Discussion
Board

PURPOSE: To study and copare the vascular effects of the commercial sources of extracts prepared from the root of Panax ginseng (G-115) and the leaf and stem of Panax quinquefolius (PQS). METHODS: Isometric contractile responses were investigated using de-endothelialized rings of dog carotid artery (DCA) and rat aorta (RAO). RESULTS: G-115 (0.6 mg/ml) inhibited the myogenic tone in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and had no effect on the basal tension of the aorta of the Wistar/Kyoto normotensive control rats (WKY). G-115 also inhibited the RAO contraction induced by NaCl or phenylephrine (PE) but not that induced by KCl. However, PQS (0.5 mg/ml) was found to inhibit KCl-induced contraction in DCA rings much more prominently than that induced by PE. DISCUSSION: The vascular effects of G-115 appeared to be very similar to those obtained with the total saponins extracted from Panax notoginseng (PNS)in that it inhibits PE-induced contraction, but not KCl-induced contraction. We have previously reported that the total ginsenosides isolated from the root of Panax quinquefolius, unlike PNS, G-115 or PQS, enhanced the contractile responses of dog mesenteric artery to suboptimal concentration of PE. CONCLUSION: Differential vascular effects were observed in ginseng extracts obtained from different ginseng products and may be due to the different gensenoside compositions in these products.

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Presentation Number SAkwan0249
Keywords: Ginseng, Vascular Muscle, Contraction, Calcium