Abstract
Ginseng has been reported to ameliorate hyperglycemia in experimental and clinical
studies; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we investigated
the metabolic effects and putative molecular mechanisms of Korean red ginseng (KRG,
Panax ginseng) in animal models for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and peripheral insulin-responsive
cell lines. Korean red ginseng was administered orally at a dose of 200 mg/(kg d)
to Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats for 40 weeks. Initially, chronic administration
of KRG reduced weight gain and visceral fat mass in the early period without altering
food intake. The KRG-treated Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats showed improved
insulin sensitivity and significantly preserved glucose tolerance compared with untreated
control animals up to 50 weeks of age, implying that KRG attenuated the development
of overt diabetes. KRG promoted fatty acid oxidation by the activation of adenosine
monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylation of acetyl–coenzyme
A carboxylase in skeletal muscle and cultured C2C12 muscle cells. Increased expression
of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor–γ coactivator–1α, nuclear respiratory factor–1, cytochrome c, cytochrome c oxidase–4, and glucose transporter 4 by KRG treatment indicates that activated AMPK
also enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and glucose utilization in skeletal muscle.
Although these findings suggest that KRG is likely to have beneficial effects on the
amelioration of insulin resistance and the prevention of T2DM through the activation
of AMPK, further clinical studies are required to evaluate the use of KRG as a supplementary
agent for T2DM.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 29, 2009
Accepted:
March 4,
2009
Received:
July 31,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
