Journal of Ginseng Research

The Korean Society of Ginseng (고려인삼학회)
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The Effects of Ginsenoside Rg3 as a Potent Inhibitor of Ca2+ Channels and NMDA-gated Channels in the Peripheral and Central Nervous Systems

말초 및 중추신경계에서 칼슘채널 및 NMDA 매개 채널의 억제제로의 진세노사이드 Rg3의 효과

  • Rhim, Hye-Whon (Biomedical Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST))
  • 임혜원 (한국과학기술연구원 (KIST), 의과학연구센터)
  • Published : 2003.09.01
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Abstract

Alternative medicines such as herbal products are increasingly being used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. Ginseng is the best known and most popular herbal medicine used worldwide. In spite of some beneficial effects of ginseng on the nervous system, little scientific evidence shows at the cellular level. In the present study, I have examined the direct modulation of ginseng total saponins and individual ginsenosides on the activation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels and NMDA-gated channels in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and hippocampal neurons, respectively. In DRG neurons, application of ginseng total saponins suppressed high-voltage-activated $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents and ginsenoside Rg$_3$, among the 11 ginsenosides tested, produced the strongest inhibition on $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents. Occlusion experiments using selective $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers revealed that ginsenoside Rg$_3$ could modulate L-, N-, and P/Q-type currents. In addition, ginsenoside Rg$_3$ also proved to be an active component of ginseng actions on NMDA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons. Application of ginsenoside Rg$_3$ suppressed NMDA-induced [Ca$^{2+}$]$_{i}$ increase and -gated channels using fura-2-based digital imaging and patch-clamp techniques, respectively. These results suggest that the modulation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels and NMDA receptors by ginsenoside Rg$_3$ could be part of the pharmacological basis of ginseng actions in the peripheral and central nervous systems.ous systems.

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References

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