title: Ginsenosides evoke endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in rat aorta.
abstract: 1. Ginsenoside (10-100 mg/kg, i.v.) lowered blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner in rats. 2. Ginsenoside (10(-5)-3 x 10(-4) g/ml) relaxed the aorta after contractions were induced by 10(-6) M phenylephrine in the aorta with endothelium but not in that without endothelium. 3. The relaxation induced by ginsenoside was attenuated by 3 x 10(-7) M methylene blue (MB) and 10(-4) M NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) but not inhibited by 10(-5) M indomethacin. 4. Ginsenoside (10(-4) g/ml for 2 min) increased the accumulation of cGMP in rings with endothelium. L-NMMA and MB inhibited the accumulation of cGMP induced by ginsenoside. 5. These data suggest that vascular relaxations induced by ginsenoside are mediated by release of endothelium-drived nitric oxide which enhances the accumulation of cGMP.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Korea.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Schini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D036145:Ginsenosides; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D012503:Saponins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006152:Cyclic GMP