Studies on insulin-like substances in Korean red ginseng.
Korean red ginseng powder was found to contain adenosine and an acidic substance which inhibited epinephrine-induced lipolysis and stimulated insulin-mediated lipogenesis from glucose (3, 4). In the present experiment, the chemical structure of this acidic substance is determined to be pyro-glutamic acid. Pyroglutamic acid exhibits selective modulations toward the opposite metabolic pathways in rat adipocytes; it inhibits the lipolysis but rather stimulates the lipogenesis. Based on these results, we suggest to call these substances (adenosine and pyro-glutamic acid) "selective modulators".
Central Research Laboratory, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Japan.
T
T
Takaku
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K
Kameda
Y
Y
Matsuura
K
K
Sekiya
H
H
Okuda
D000241:Adenosine / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008055:Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008066:Lipolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D005894:Panax / Q000032:analysis*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; D000241:Adenosine; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid