title: Korean red ginseng stimulates insulin release from isolated rat pancreatic islets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Korean red ginseng (KRG), one of heat-processed Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), has a long history as herbal remedy for antidiabetic effect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The effect and mechanism of KRG on stimulation of insulin release were investigated in isolated rat pancreatic islets.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreatic islets isolated from rats were used to evaluate the insulinotropic action of KRG. The effect of Ca on the insulinotropic action of KRG was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aqueous ethanolic extract of KRG (AEE-KRG) (0.1-1.0mg/ml) significantly evoked a stimulation of insulin release at 3.3mM glucose compared to the control. Experiments at different glucose concentrations (8.4 and 16.7mM) showed that AEE-KRG significantly stimulated on its own whereas it did not potentiate insulin secretion induced by glucose. The extracellular Ca(2+)-free condition, a L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker and an ATP-sensitive K(+) channel opener significantly inhibited insulin secretion evoked by AEE-KRG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that KRG displays beneficial effects in the treatment of diabetes at least in part via the stimulation of insulin release in a glucose-independent manner.
authors.affiliation: Food Convergence Technology Division, Korea Food Research Institute, Kyonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D005947:Glucose; D002118:Calcium