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Free radical-scavenging activity of Korean red ginseng for erectile dysfunction in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus rats.

Ryu JK, Lee T, Kim DJ, Park IS, Yoon SM, Lee HS, Song SU, Suh JK

Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the antioxidant activity of Korean red ginseng (KRG) and its effect on erectile function in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) rats. Oxidative stress is an important factor in vascular complications of diabetes. METHODS: A total of 84 male Sprague-Dawley rats were included in this study. NIDDM was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of 90 mg/kg of streptozotocin on day 2 after birth. According to the diabetic period, they were classified as either short-term (22 weeks, n = 32) or long-term (38 weeks, n = 32) diabetics. Of those, 20 (10 short-term and 10 long-term) were fed 30 mg/kg of KRG three times weekly for 1 month. The remaining diabetic rats (22 short-term and 22 long-term) and their age-matched controls (n = 10 each for each group) were fed a normal diet. Erectile function was measured after electrostimulation of the cavernous nerve. The total cavernous malondialdehyde and glutathione levels were measured using a spectrophotometric assay. RESULTS: The intracavernous pressure after nerve stimulation and cavernous glutathione level were significantly lower in the long-term than the short-term diabetics with a normal diet and were markedly decreased compared with their age-matched controls (P <0.01 and P <0.05, respectively). The malondialdehyde content was markedly increased in the short-term diabetics compared with the controls (P <0.05). In contrast, erectile function was not impaired in the diabetic group treated with KRG. Furthermore, both glutathione and malondialdehyde levels in those treated with KRG were comparable to their age-matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress to cavernous tissue may be a contributory factor in erectile dysfunction in diabetics. KRG may preserve potency in the NIDDM rats through its antioxidant activity.

Published 22 March 2005 in Urology, 65(3): 611-5.
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