title: Ginseng total saponins enhance neurogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, is one of the most commonly used healing herbs for stroke and chronic debilitating conditions in China. Ginsenosides are the main active principles for ginseng's efficacy, but the mechanisms have not been fully clarified.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis whether or not the administration of Ginseng total saponins (GTS) can enhance neurogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia, and thereby improve neurological deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal injections of GTS dissolved at a dose of 25 mg kg(-1) d(-1) or normal saline (NS) of same volume 3 days before the permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model establishment until the animals were killed at the time points of 1d, 3d, 7d and 14d. The neurological function was assessed blindly. BrdU immunostaining and double staining were performed by following the 3-steps method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (A) GTS-treated rats have better neurological scores compared with those in NS group at 14d time point (p<0.05); (B) the number of BrdU(+) cells and BrdU(+)/NeuN(+) cells in GTS group were significantly higher than those in NS group in the ipsilateral subventricular zone and in the ipsilateral infarct area after MCAO, respectively (p<0.05 or p<0.01); (C) the increase of the number of BrdU(+)/NeuN(+) cells highly correlated with the decrease of neurological scores. Coefficient correlation r=-0.828 (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GTS can improve neurological deficits after focal cerebral ischemia by inducing endogenous neural stem cells activation and thereby enhance adult central nervous system regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Center of Neurology and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325027, PR China. gq zheng@sohu.com
authors.forename: Guo-qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiu-min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu-zhi
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Shi-jue
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-tong
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D008297:Male; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012503:Saponins; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine