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Ginseng, the Root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, Protects Ethanol-Induced Gastric Damages in Rat through the Induction of Cytoprotective Heat-Shock Protein 27.

Yeo M, Kim DK, Cho SW, Hong HD

Genome Research Center for Gastroenterology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.

Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been reported to exert preventive effects on gastropathy via anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of ginseng against ethanol-induced gastric damages in rat. To examine the preventive effect of ginseng, rats received two different ginseng extracts, A and B, 1 h prior to the administration of ethanol. Pretreatment of rats with ginseng extract A and B attenuated the ethanol-induced gastric lesions by 111 +/- 48 and 142 +/- 47 mm(2) compared to control group (164 +/- 54 mm(2)). Significant induction of cytoprotective heat-shock proteins HSP27 and HSP70 was found in the ginseng-administrated rats, suggesting that the restoration of the proteins might contribute to prevention of ethanol-induced gastric injuries. It is, therefore, suggested that ginseng has a protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric damages by induction of heat-shock proteins 70 and 27.

Published 26 February 2008 in Dig Dis Sci, 53(3): 606-13.
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