Protective effects of ginsenosides in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury

To verify whether ginsenosides will attenuate the myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was snared for 2 hours in 23 dogs and then the ischemic myocardium was reperfused. 45 minutes after ischemia, the animals were randomly divided into a ginsenosides group (n = 11, receiving a slow IV bolus of ginsenosides 10 mg/kg and then a continuous infusion of 80 micrograms/kg/min) and a saline solution group (n = 12 receiving equal amount of glucose in saline). The treatment was started 45 minutes after coronary occlusion and stopped one hour after reperfusion. 24 hours later, the dogs were killed and the extent of myocardial necrosis was determined histologically. The LVEDP, arterial pressure and heart rate were markedly lower in the ginsenosides group. Electrocardiographic findings of myocardial ischemia were significantly improved in the ginsenosides group. 8 controls developed malignant arrhythmia after reperfusion, but none in ginsenosides group. The myocardial ultrastructure can be protected by ginsenosides during the period of ischemia and reperfusion. The infarct size in saline group was 22.7 +/- 3.2% while in the ginsenosides group it was 5.2 +/- 1.3% (P less than 0.05). These results show that ginsenosides can protect the ischemic myocardium and reperfusion injury of myocardium.