The Effect of Ginseng on Heart Contraction and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Function(II) The Effect of Ginseng on $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ Uptake by Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Fragments of Rat Heart

It was reported from our laboratory that the rate of deterioration of the force of contraction was slower in heart from Panax ginseng extract treated rats. Present investigation was designed to elucidate the mechanism of the slow deterioration of contractility of ginseng treated hearts. Therefore, $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ Uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) isolated from ginseng treated rate and control rats was studied. Rate weighing 150-250g were administered orally with ginseng ethanol extract (100mg/kg) for 10 days. Cardiac SR was isolated by differential centrifugation and $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake was assessed by the Millipore method. Freshly isolated SR from treated as well as control animals did not show any differences, but after incubation for 30 and 60 min at 37.deg.C, $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake of control animal SR was found to be greatly depressed. The SR of treated animal possessed a greater degree of resistance to incubation. Thus it can be concluded that ginseng may have an ability to sustain the normal function of the heart by sustaining Ca accumulation by SR involved with the excitationcontraction coupling processes.