Effect of Ginseng radix on c-Fos Expression in the Hippocampus of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

• Published in: Journal of Pharmacological Sciences Vol. 91; no. 2; pp. 149 - 152
• Main Authors: Jang, Mi-Hyeon, Chang, Hyun-Kyung, Shin, Min-Chul, Lee, Taeck-Hyun, Kim, Young-Pyo, Kim, Ee-Hwa, Kim, Chang-Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Pharmacological Society 01.01.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; c-Fos; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - pathology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gene Expression - drug effects; Genes, fos - drug effects; Ginseng radix; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hippocampus - pathology; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Panax; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; streptozotocin-induced diabetes
• ISSN: 1347-8613; 1347-8648
• DOI: 10.1254/jphs.91.149

Aqueous extracts of Ginseng radix have traditionally been used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In the present study, the effect of Ginseng radix on c-Fos expression in the hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was investigated via immunohistochemistry. Decreased c-Fos expression in the CA regions of the hippocampus was observed in STZ-induced diabetes, and administration of Ginseng radix enhanced the STZ-induced inhibition of c-Fos expression both dose- and duration-dependently. These results suggest that hyperglycemia-induced suppression of Fos expression may trigger the diabetes-induced disruption of hippocampal information processing and that Ginseng radix may alleviate this diabetes-induced disturbance in hippocampal functions.