title: Effects of ginsenosides injected intrathecally or intracerebroventricularly on antinociception induced by beta -endorphin administered intracerebroventricularly in the mouse.
abstract: The effect of total saponin fraction of ginseng injected intrathecally (i.t.) or intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) on the antinociception induced by beta-endorphin administered i.c.v. was studied in ICR mice in the present study. The antinociception was assessed by the tail-flick test. Total saponin fraction at doses 0.1 to 1.0 microgram, which administered i.t. alone did not affect the latencies of tail-flick threshold, attenuated dose-dependently the inhibition of the tail-flick response induced by i.c.v. administered beta-endorphin (1 microgram). However, total saponin fraction at doses 1 to 20 microgram, which administered i.c.v. alone did not affect the latencies of the tail-flick response, did not affect i.c.v. administered beta-endorphiun (1 microgram)-induced antinociception. The duration of antagonistic action of total saponin fraction against beta-endorphin-induced antinociception lasted at least for 6 h. Various doses (from 0.1 to 1 microgram) of ginsenoside R(c), but not R(b2), R(d), Rg(1), R(b1)and R(e)injected i.t. dose-dependently attenuated antinociception induced by beta-endorphin administered i.c.v. Our results indicate that total saponin fraction injected spinally appears to have antagonistic action against the antinociception induced by supraspinally applied beta-endorphin. Ginsenoside R(c)appears to be responsible for blocking i.c.v. administered beta-endorphin-induced antinociception. On the other hand, total ginseng fraction, at supraspinal sites, may not exert an antagonistic action against the antinociception induced by supraspinally administered beta-endorphin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Kangwon-Do, 200-702, S. Korea. hwsuh@sun.hallym.ac.kr
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D036145:Ginsenosides; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005894:Panax; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012503:Saponins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D036145:Ginsenosides; D012503:Saponins; D001615:beta-Endorphin