POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
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THURSDAY, 5:30-6:15 PM


Yue KKM, Cho WCS, Leung AWN, Cheng CHK.

Ginsenoside Re of Panax ginseng has significant antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic efficacy in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Hong Kong Baptist University kkmyue@hkbu.edu.hk

PURPOSE: To study whether ginsenoside Re, a major component of Panax ginseng, could prevent the onset of oxidative stress in eyes, aorta and kidneys of diabetic rats.

METHODS: 4 weeks after STZ induction, the diabetic rats were treated with different doses (20 mg/kg, n=8; 10 mg/kg, n=8; 5 mg/kg, n=8) of ginsenoside Re or 20 mg/kg PVP-10 (solvent control, n = 8) by oral intubation for 4 weeks. The blood glucose and lipid levels, together with glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the eyes, aorta and kidneys were then measured. GSH being the primary endogenous antioxidant and MDA is a marker of oxidative stress.

RESULTS: Diabetic rats treated with ginsenoside Re showed a significant reduction in blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In addition, treatment by ginsenoside Re restored the levels of both GSH and MDA in the eye and kidney to those found in the control rats. No such changes were observed in the GSH and MDA levels in the aorta of diabetic rats treated with ginsenoside Re.

CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that ginsenoside Re could lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and exerts protective effects against the occurrence of oxidative stress in the eye and kidney of diabetic rats. Our data provide evidence that ginsenoside Re could be used as an effective antidiabetic agent particularly in the prevention of diabetic microvasculopathy.

 

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