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KMID : 0617819950050010196
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Journal of Wonkwang Oriental Medicine
1995 Volume.5 No. 1 p.196 ~ p.202
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GINSENG INHIBITS ACETYLCHOLINE-INDUCED CONTRACTILE RESPONSES OF AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE
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PM O´Byrne
J. H. Han
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Abstract
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Panax ginseng, a traditional herb medicine, has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for chromic disease. Ginsing is known to relax arterial smooth muscle, however, the effect of ginsing on tracheal smooth muscle is not known. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of ginsing on acetylcholine-induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in rats. Sprague Dawley rats (200g, female) were killed by CO_2 exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the thoracic trachea from each rat was cut into equal segments and mounted ´in pairs´ in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 0.5g loading tension. The dose of acetylcholine (Ach) which evoked 50% of maximal response (ED_50) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for acetylcholine (10^-7 -10^-4M). Contractions evoked by Ach (ED_50) were inhibited significantly by ginseng. The mean percent inhibition was 28±2%(p=0.01) after 1mg/ml ginseng, and 65±3% (p=0.01) after 3mg/ml ginseng. Indomethacin (10^-7M) slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of ginseng. Following treatment with indomethacin, the mean percent inhibition caused by 1mg/ml ginseng fell to 19±2%(p=0.02) and by 3mg/ml ginseng fell to 55±3%(p=0.01)(n=11). Propranolol(10^-7M) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of ginseng. These results indicate that ginseng can relax actylcholine-induced contraction of rat tracheal smooth muscle, and that this inhibition involves, in part, the release of cyclooxygenase products.
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