Effect of Chronic Treatment of Ginseng Extract on the Clearance of Blood Carbon Monoxide in Rat

인삼추출물의 장기적인 급여가 흰쥐의 혈중 CO-Hb 제거에 미치는 영향

The effect of long-term ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) administration on the clearance of carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) and the property of blood gases was investigated in rats. Rats were received ginseng water extract (0.025% in drinking water) for 42 weeks starting at the age of 6 weeks. They were exposed to the diluted mainstream smoke generated from 15 filter cigarettes for 20 min in a round polycarbonate chamber (D37 cmXH13 cm). Under this condition, the mean CO-Hb content of control and the ginseng-treated rats immediately after the exposure was nearly the same as 13.8$\pm$2.9 f) and 13.9$\pm$1.6%, respectively. However, CO-Hb was more rapidly removed from blood in the ginseng treated rats than in untreatEd control with the laps of time, namely, its biological half life In the former was 36.9$\pm$1.5 min and in the latter was 56.9$\pm$13.2 min. Although long-term ginseng treatment did not affect the content of hemoglobin and blood pH of rats, it slightly increased blood oxygen content and its partial pressure value, and decreased levels of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. These results suggest that long-term administration of rats with ginseng extract accelerate the elimination of CO from the blood. This effect seems to be related to the enhancement of oxygen consumption of the rat by a certain action of ginseng components as previously reported.