Hyunghee Lee1, Jeonghyun Choi1, Soon Shik Shin2, Michung Yoon3. 1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mokwon University, Daejeon 35349, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Formula Sciences, College of Korean Medicine, Dongeui University, Busan 47227, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ssshin@deu.ac.kr. 3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mokwon University, Daejeon 35349, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yoon60@mokwon.ac.kr.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Korean red ginseng (ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a famous traditional drug used in Korea for the treatment and prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and liver and cardiovascular diseases. Menopause is strongly associated with many of the aforementioned metabolic diseases and increased visceral obesity. The aims of this study were to investigate whether ginseng inhibits obesity and related disorders in ovariectomized (OVX) C57BL/6J mice, which is a mouse model of postmenopausal women, and to determine the mechanism of action involved in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After OVX mice were treated with 5% (w/w) ginseng for 15 weeks, we determined the effects of ginseng on obesity and adipose inflammation, angiogenesis, metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and metabolic parameters. RESULTS: OVX mice had higher body weight, adipose tissue mass and adipocyte size when fed a high fat diet (HFD) compared with HFD-fed sham-operated mice. All of these parameters were significantly reduced in OVX mice fed a HFD supplemented with ginseng. Ginseng treatment also decreased blood vessel density, MMP activity, and mRNA levels of angiogenic factors (e.g., VEGF-A and FGF-2) and MMPs (e.g., MMP-2 and MMP-9) in adipose tissues of OVX mice. Infiltrating inflammatory cells and expression of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., CD68, TNFα and MCP-1) in adipose tissue were reduced by ginseng. Ginseng not only reduced the circulating levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides, but also normalized hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in OVX mice. Hepatic lipid droplets were almost completely abolished by ginseng. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ginseng inhibited ovariectomy-induced obesity, adiposity, and adipocyte hypertrophy by modulating angiogenesis and MMP activity. Ginseng also suppressed adipose inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis in OVX mice. Thus, it is likely that ginseng may be a promising drug for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related disorders in obese postmenopausal women.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Korean red ginseng (ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a famous traditional drug used in Korea for the treatment and prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and liver and cardiovascular diseases. Menopause is strongly associated with many of the aforementioned metabolic diseases and increased visceral obesity. The aims of this study were to investigate whether ginseng inhibits obesity and related disorders in ovariectomized (OVX) C57BL/6J mice, which is a mouse model of postmenopausal women, and to determine the mechanism of action involved in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After OVX mice were treated with 5% (w/w) ginseng for 15 weeks, we determined the effects of ginseng on obesity and adipose inflammation, angiogenesis, metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and metabolic parameters. RESULTS: OVX mice had higher body weight, adipose tissue mass and adipocyte size when fed a high fat diet (HFD) compared with HFD-fed sham-operated mice. All of these parameters were significantly reduced in OVX mice fed a HFD supplemented with ginseng. Ginseng treatment also decreased blood vessel density, MMP activity, and mRNA levels of angiogenic factors (e.g., VEGF-A and FGF-2) and MMPs (e.g., MMP-2 and MMP-9) in adipose tissues of OVX mice. Infiltrating inflammatory cells and expression of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., CD68, TNFα and MCP-1) in adipose tissue were reduced by ginseng. Ginseng not only reduced the circulating levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides, but also normalized hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in OVX mice. Hepatic lipid droplets were almost completely abolished by ginseng. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ginseng inhibited ovariectomy-induced obesity, adiposity, and adipocyte hypertrophy by modulating angiogenesis and MMP activity. Ginseng also suppressed adipose inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis in OVX mice. Thus, it is likely that ginseng may be a promising drug for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related disorders in obese postmenopausal women.
Authors: In Soon Kang; Taiwo Samuel Agidigbi; Young Min Kwon; Dong-Gyu Kim; Rang Ie Kim; Gyo In; Mi-Hyang Lee; Chaekyun Kim Journal: Nutrients Date: 2020-08-12 Impact factor: 5.717
Authors: Jae Sik Yu; Hyun-Soo Roh; Kwan-Hyuck Baek; Seul Lee; Sil Kim; Hae Min So; Eunjung Moon; Changhyun Pang; Tae Su Jang; Ki Hyun Kim Journal: J Ginseng Res Date: 2018-02-16 Impact factor: 6.060