Effect of Ginseng Alcohol Extract on Short-Circuit Current Across the Frog Skin

인삼 알콜 추출물이 개구리 피부를 통한 short circuit current에 미치는 영향

In an attempt to examine the effect of ginseng on sodium transport across the biological membrane, we have studied effects of ginseng alcohol extract on the short-circuit current(SCC) and the $Na^+-K^+$-activated ATPase activity in isolated frog skin preparations. 1. Ginseng alcohol extract applied to the mucosal surface of the frog skin significantly increased SCC at low concentration($1{\sim}10mg%$) but decreased SCC at higher concentration($50{\sim}250mg%$). 2. Similarly, when the drug was added to the serosal bathing medium, the SCC was stimulated at low doses($5{\sim}25mg%$) and inhibibited at high doses($50{\sim}250mg%$). 3. $Na^+-K^+$-activated ATPase activity of the frog skin epidermal homogenate was significantly inhibited by ginseng alcohol extract, the effect being proportional to the concentration of the drug in the incubation mixture. These results may suggest that a low dose of ginseng alcohol extrat enhances the transepithelial sodium transport probably by increasing the permeability of outer membrane of the transporting cell to sodium ion, whereas a high dose of drug reduces the sodium transport primarly by inhibiting $Na^+-K^+$ ATPase mediated active transport step.