Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on the Relaxation of Clitoral Corpus Cavernosum in Rabbit

Kim, Sun Ouck; Kim, Min Kyung; Chae, Myeong Jeong; Kim, Hwi Young; Park, Jong Kwan; Park, Kwangsung

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to investigate the effect of Korean Red Ginseng(KRG) extract on the relaxation of the clitoral corpus cavernosal smooth muscle in rabbit.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Rabbit clitoral corpus cavernosal smooth muscle strips were mounted in organ chambers to measure isometric tension. The strips were contracted with phenylephrine(5 x 10(-6) M), and the responses to KRG extract(1~20 mg/ml), nitric oxide inhibitor(N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME), vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP) receptor antagonist, KCl were examined. The cGMP content of the strips was measured by radioimmunoassay after various dose of KRG extract.
RESULTS
The KRG extract(1~20 mg/ml) relaxed the clitoral corpus cavernosal smooth muscle in a dose-dependent manner up to 95%. The relaxation effect of KRG extract was significantly inhibited by L-NAME(10(-4) M) in clitoral corpus cavernosal smooth muscle. The KRG extract also inhibited the contraction induced by depolarization with 10, 20, 40 mM of KCl. The KRG extract(1, 5 mg/ml) increased the accumulation of cGMP in clitoral corpus cavernosal smooth muscle.
CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that KRG extract has a relaxing effect on the clitoral corpus cavernosal smooth muscle in rabbit. These effects are in part mediated by the NO-cGMP pathway and a hyperpolarizing action.