title: Effects of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) on obesity and adipose inflammation in ovariectomized mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Korean red ginseng (ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a famous traditional drug used in Korea for the treatment and prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and liver and cardiovascular diseases. Menopause is strongly associated with many of the aforementioned metabolic diseases and increased visceral obesity. The aims of this study were to investigate whether ginseng inhibits obesity and related disorders in ovariectomized (OVX) C57BL/6J mice, which is a mouse model of postmenopausal women, and to determine the mechanism of action involved in this process.
  
  
  METHODS
  After OVX mice were treated with 5% (w/w) ginseng for 15 weeks, we determined the effects of ginseng on obesity and adipose inflammation, angiogenesis, metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and metabolic parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OVX mice had higher body weight, adipose tissue mass and adipocyte size when fed a high fat diet (HFD) compared with HFD-fed sham-operated mice. All of these parameters were significantly reduced in OVX mice fed a HFD supplemented with ginseng. Ginseng treatment also decreased blood vessel density, MMP activity, and mRNA levels of angiogenic factors (e.g., VEGF-A and FGF-2) and MMPs (e.g., MMP-2 and MMP-9) in adipose tissues of OVX mice. Infiltrating inflammatory cells and expression of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., CD68, TNFα and MCP-1) in adipose tissue were reduced by ginseng. Ginseng not only reduced the circulating levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides, but also normalized hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in OVX mice. Hepatic lipid droplets were almost completely abolished by ginseng.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that ginseng inhibited ovariectomy-induced obesity, adiposity, and adipocyte hypertrophy by modulating angiogenesis and MMP activity. Ginseng also suppressed adipose inflammation, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis in OVX mice. Thus, it is likely that ginseng may be a promising drug for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related disorders in obese postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mokwon University, Daejeon 35349, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyunghee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mokwon University, Daejeon 35349, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeonghyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Formula Sciences, College of Korean Medicine, Dongeui University, Busan 47227, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ssshin@deu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Soon Shik
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mokwon University, Daejeon 35349, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yoon60@mokwon.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Michung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007723:Korea; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000379:methods; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D014280:Triglycerides; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
keywords: Adipocyte hypertrophy; Angiogenesis; Inflammation; MMP; Obesity; Ovariectomized; Panax ginseng