The effect of panax ginseng on intimal hyperplasia in rats with abdominal aortic intimal injury.

Abstract

Background: This study aims to investigate the effects of Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) on intimal hyperplasia following intimal injury induced in the abdominal aortas of rats.

Methods: Twenty-four Wistar Albino rats were divided into four equal groups. Group A was designated as the control group and underwent laparotomy alone. In Group B, following laparotomy, the abdominal aorta was partially transected, and intimal injury was induced proximally using a 2F Fogarty catheter. Groups C and D received 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg of P. ginseng, respectively, and both groups underwent the same procedure as Group B. Two samples were collected from all rats with aortic injury: one from the primarily repaired aortic segment and another from the aortic segment with intimal injury caused by a Fogarty catheter. One sample was collected from the control group. The intima and media thicknesses of the collected aortic samples were histopathologically evaluated.

Results: No significant intimal hyperplasia was observed in the primarily repaired aortic segments, and P. ginseng did not have significant effect in these segments (p=0.394 and p=0.580, p=0.180, p>0.05). However, significant intimal hyperplasia developed in the aortic segments with injury induced by the Fogarty catheter (p=0.012, p<0.05). High-dose P. ginseng (40 mg/kg) significantly reduced intimal hyperplasia in these segments (p=0.036, p<0.05), while the low dose (20 mg/kg) did not show statistically significant effect (p=1.000, p>0.05).

Conclusion: Our study results showed that P. ginseng reduced intimal hyperplasia in a dose-dependent manner in rat abdominal aortas.