Abstract
The rate of deterioration of contractile force of isolated hearts from control and panax ginseng treated rats was determined and response of contractile force of the hearts from ginseng treated rats to several autonomic and other drugs was investigated. Rats weighing 150-250g were administrered orally with ginseng ethanol extract (100mg/kg) and total ginseng saponin (50mg/kg/day) for a week. Ginsenoside Rb$_{1}$ (5mg/kg/day) and ginsenoside Re (5mg/kg/day) were administered respectively for a week. The isolated hearts from rats were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution by using Langendorff perfusion apparatus. The control group was only able to maintain approximately 75.5% of their initial strength after 60 min of perfusion, whereas ginseng ethanol extract, total ginseng saponin treated hearts were able to sustain nearly their initial strength even after 60 min. Ginsenoside Rol treated hearts also sustained 93% of their initial strength, but there was no significant difference in the deterioration percentage of the contractile force of ginsenoside Re treated hearts. Experiments were conducted to study the response to perfusion of ginseng treated animal heart with epinephrine, isoproterenol, propranolol, and phenobarbital. The isolated hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution containing epinephrine (10$^{-6}$ M), isoproterenol ($10^{-7}$M), propranolol ($10^{-6}$M) and phenobarbital (7{\times}10^{-3}M$) respectively. The maximum inotropic effect of epinephrine and isoproterenol was observed after 2~3 minutes of drug perfusion. Effect of epinephrine on ginseng ethanol extract and total ginseng saponin treated hearts was reduced compared with control. On the other hand, this phenomenon was not observed in ginsenoside Re treated rats but on ginsenoside $Rb_{1}$ treated rats. The positive inotropic effect of isoproterenol was reduced in the hearts from ginseng treated rats compared with control heart, Propranolol or phenobaribital decreased the contractile force in the control rats. The depressant effect of propranolol and phenobarbitat on ginseng treated rat hearts was less than those of control rat hearts. The result suggest that ginseng ethanol extract , ind total ginseng saponin and ginsenoside $Rb_{1}$ may protect the deterioration of contractile force of the heart and may attenuate the response to several drugs on hearts.