title: Inhibitory effect of ginseng total saponins on glutamate-induced swelling of cultured astrocytes.
abstract: The effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) on L-glutamate-induced swelling of cultured astrocytes from rat brain were studied. Following exposure to 0.5 mM glutamate for 1 h, the intracellular water space (as measured by [3H]O-methyl-D-glucose uptake) of astrocytes increased three-fold with a morphological change: the disappearance of cellular processes. Simultaneous addition of GTS with glutamate reduced the astrocytic swelling in a dose-dependent manner. GTS at 0.5 mg/ml did not affect the viability of astrocytes for up to 18 h, which was determined by a colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival. These data suggest that GTS prevents the cell swelling of astrocytes induced by glutamate.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Korea.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D036145:Ginsenosides; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005894:Panax; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D036145:Ginsenosides; D012503:Saponins; D018698:Glutamic Acid