title: Ginsenoside Rb1 improves energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle of an animal model of postoperative fatigue syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) is a common clinical complication followed by almost every major abdominal surgery. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1), a principle ginsenoside in ginseng, could exert a potent anti-fatigue effect on POFS. However, the mechanism is still unknown. Previous studies revealed that alterations in the energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle may play a vital role in the development and progression of fatigue. In the present study, we investigate the effect of GRb1 on energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle of a rat model of POFS induced by major small intestinal resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  GRb1 (10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administrated once daily for 1, 3, 7, and 10 d from the operation day, respectively. The locomotor activity was recorded every day, and total food intake was calculated starting from 24 h after surgery. After GRb1 treatment was completed, blood and skeletal muscle were sampled. The level of blood glucose was determined by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in skeletal muscle was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The activity of energy metabolic enzymes Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, pyruvate kinase, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) was assessed by commercially available kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that GRb1 could increase locomotor activity of POFS rats and significantly increase their total food intake postoperatively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, GRb1 also significantly increased ATP content in the skeletal muscle of POFS rats (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and SDH in the skeletal muscle of POFS rats was enhanced by GRb1 (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences in blood glucose and pyruvate kinase were found between the POFS and GRb1 treatment rats (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that GRb1 may improve skeletal muscle energy metabolism in POFS, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with an increase in the content of ATP and an enhancement in the activity of energy metabolic enzymes such as Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase ATPase and SDH in the skeletal muscle.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Shan-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Electronic address: liningnju@163.com.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qian-Tong
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bi-Cheng
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: yuzhen0577@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000378:metabolism*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D036145:Ginsenosides; C442759:ginsenoside Rb1; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase
keywords: Animal experiment; Energy metabolism; Ginsenoside Rb1; Postoperative fatigue syndrome