Inductive Effects of Ginseng Saponins on the Rat LDH A-gene and the Synthetic rate of Hepatocyte DNA in Regenerating Rat Liver Cells

The effects of ginseng saponins, G-Rbl and G-Rc on the rat liver LDH A-gene transcnptional activity was investigated during pro-replicative phase of rat liver after partial hepatectomy. Changes in LDH A-mRNA levels in regenerating rat liver after intraperitoneal administrations of G-Rbl of G-Rc were tested by slot blot hybridization methods. The results showed that G-Rbl (1 mg/100g B.W) and G-Rc (1 ma/100g B.W) caused marked increases of LDH A-mRNA contents by respectively 1.9- and 1.5-fold in rat liver at 5·hours after partial hepatectomy. Dose dependent effect of G-Rbl and G-Rc (1-25 mg/100g B.W) on the LDH A-mRNA levels on regenerating rat liver were also analyzed. The maximal in- creases of liver LDH A-mRNA levels were observed with the doses of 1 mg for G-Rbl and 5 mg for G-Rc However, when the administration doses of G-Kbl and G-Rc were increased to 20 mg, G-Rbl caused a marked decrease of LDH A-mRNA level to 61% of those in sham-operated rat liver In contrast, G-Rc slightly decreased the liver LDH A-mRNA contents by 30% as compared to those of the maximum value but still maintained 22% higher LDH A-mRNA levels then those of sham-operated rate liver. On the basis of these experimental results, we conclude that ginseng saponin, G-Rb 1 and G·Rc have stimulatory effect at the lower concentration (1 mg/100g B.W) and inhibitory effect at the higher concentration (20 moi loos 5.W) on the LDH A-gene transcription during regeneration of rat liver, Additionally we also investigated the stimulatory effects of ginsenosides on the protein and DNA synthetic activities in hepatocyte primary cell cultures isolated from regenerating rat liver. Both of G·Rc and -Re increased the synthetic rates of hepatocytes proteins and DNA at the administration doses of 50 ug and 100 ug/3 ml/dish respectively representing 1.3-1.6 fold increases. From these results we postulate that G-Rc and -Re may have a mitogen enhancer activity for the hepatocyte proliferation during rat liver regeneration period. Keywords Inductive effects of ginsenosides, G-Rb, -Rc, and -Re, rat LDH A-gene transcription, the sin thetic rate of proteins and DNA in regeneration rat liver.