ginsenoside-rd and Obesity

With the discovery of thermogenic adipocytes in humans, it has been hypothesized that enhancing adaptive thermogenesis may improve obesity. Although many studies have found that ginseng can improve obesity, the beneficial effects of ginsenoside Rd on obesity and its mechanisms have not been studied.. High-fat diet-induced obese mice were used as the study subjects, with intraperitoneal injection of Rd daily at a dose of 15 mg/kg. Body weight and energy metabolism were observed. The effects of Rd on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and cold tolerance were tested. The expression of genes associated with thermogenesis was analyzed. Finally, the mechanisms by which Rd regulates adaptive thermogenesis were studied.. Rd ameliorated obesity and insulin resistance. Rd increased cold tolerance through enhancing thermogenic gene expression in brown adipose tissue and increased the browning of white adipose tissue induced by cold stress. Rd increased intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content. Decreasing intracellular cAMP levels by an inhibitor of adenylyl cyclase SQ22536 abolished the promoting effects of Rd on the expression of thermogenic genes.. Rd improves obesity and insulin resistance. The upregulation of thermogenesis by Rd is dependent on the cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway.

Topics: Animals; Diet, High-Fat; Disease Models, Animal; Ginsenosides; Humans; Male; Mice; Obesity; Panax; Thermogenesis

To explore the mechanism of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on diabetes treatment and mass loss in KK-Ay mice with genetic type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and to identify the main hypoglycemic ingredients.. C57 and KK-Ay DM mice were divided into eight groups each comprising six mice: healthy normal, DM model, and DM model treated with PNS (200 mg/kg body mass), ginsenoside Re (Re, 14 mg/kg body mass), ginsenoside Rd (Rd, 15 mg/kg body mass), ginsenoside Rgl (Rg1, 40 mg/kg body mass), ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1, 60 mg/kg body mass) and notoginsenoside R1 (R1, 6 mg/kg body mass). The PNS were intraperitoneal injection administered for 30 d, while the Re, RB1, Rg1, Rd and Re were intraperitoneal injection administered for 12 d. The fasting blood sugar (FBG), glucose tolerance (GT), serum insulin, leptin, body weight, food consumption, and levels of adipose tissue and blood lipid were determined.. On 12 d, lower FBG levels were found in the PNS and Rb1 treated mice compared with the model mice (P < 0.05). No statistical differences in FBG levels were found between the rest of the treatment groups and the model group (P > 0.05). After 30 d continuous administration of PNS, the FBG level of the mice further declined (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the serum insulin (P < 0.05) and insulin resistance index (P < 0.01) of the PNS treated mice also declined significantly. Compared with model group, the PNS group had lower levels of body weight growth, food consumption, adipose tissue, and leptin (P < 0.05). Lower FBG level was also found in Rb1 treated mice (12 d of administration), P < 0.05.. PNS has anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obesity activities by improving insulin and leptin sensitivities in KK-Ay mice. Rb1 may be the hypoglycemic ingredient in the PNS extract.

Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Body Weight; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Ginsenosides; Hypoglycemic Agents; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Leptin; Lipids; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Obesity; Panax notoginseng; Saponins