Korean Circ J.  1981 Jun;11(1):1-34. 10.4070/kcj.1981.11.1.1.

Effect of Ginseng on the Blood Pressure and Lipid Metabolism, during Development of Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

• Huh BY
• Lee YW
• Sohn ES

• KMID: 1668342
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.1981.11.1.1

Abstract

Korean Ginseng (Panax C.A. Meyer) has survived empirical efficacy as tonic and geriatric agents for several thousands of years in oriental herbal medicine. But there has been numerous controversial reports about its use in aged hypertensive men due to its allegedly hypertensive effects. Therefore, the author conducted the pharmacological studies of Korean Ginseng extracts on the blood pressure and blood lipid metabolism, during development of hypertension, using SHR(Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat), counterpart model of human essential hypertension. The results obtained were as follows: 1. SHR could be grouped, according to their age, as prehypertensive stage(<6th week after birth), labile hypertensive stage(6th 14th week), early established hypertensive stage(14th-20th week), and late established hypertensive stage(>20th week). 2. Plasma renin activity tended to rise steadily, until established hypertensive stage was reached. Thereafter, plasma renin activity tended to decline. 3. The changes of blood pressure due to Ginseng extract, depended on the amount, route and duration of its administration. Low dose of Ginseng tended to increase blood pressure but high dose of Ginseng tended to decrease blood pressure, until 1 week of intraperitonal administration. But prolonged administration of Ginseng extract beyond 1 week, showed delayed hypertensive effect in the intraperitoneal administration but not in oral administration. 4. SHR seemed to have abnormalities in the lipid metabolism. SHR showed lowered level of serum cholesterol and phospholipid, whereas slightly higher level of triglyceride, and showed lower alpha-lipoprotin fraction but higher pre beta-lipoprotein fraction, as compared with NCR.(=Normal Control Rat). 5. When high fat cholesterol salt diet was fed on, it was possible to indece hyperlidemia and increment of hypertension in SHR. but when high fat cholesterol salt diet and Ginseng extract were fed on concomitantly, Ginseng showed significant inhibiting effect on the development of hyperlidemia and hypertension.

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Blood Pressure*
Cholesterol
Diet
Herbal Medicine
Humans
Hypertension*
Lipid Metabolism*
Male
Panax*
Plasma
Rats, Inbred SHR*
Renin
Triglycerides
Cholesterol
Renin