Inhibitory Effects of the Korean Red Ginseng Extract on the Content of Neurotransmitter-Related Components of the Mouse Brain in Convulsion-induced Model

  • Published : 2007.12.31

Abstract

Treatment of mice with Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) changed glutamic acid and GABA content in the mouse brain tissue with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion. KRG were orally administered at a dose of 50, 100 mg/kg for two weeks. The electroconvulsions (MES) and PTZ-induced convulsion were reduced but those induced by strychnine, bicuculine and picrotoxin were not. PTZ-induced convulsion decreased the $\~{a}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in brain compared to control group while the content was increased in KRG-treated group compared to PTZ group. In the PTZ-treated group, the GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) activity was increased by 59.6%, while no effect was observed on glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity. These results support that the KRG decreased the GABA contents and modulated the glutamic acid contents in the brain.

Keywords

References

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