Anti-fatigue effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on postoperative fatigue syndrome induced by major small intestinal resection in rat.

Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1), one of the principle active ingredients of Panax ginseng, exerts multiple pharmacological activities to fight fatigue. In the present study, we investigate the anti-fatigue effect of GRb1 on postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) in a rat model induced by major small intestinal resection. GRb1 (10 mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally once daily for 1, 3, 7, and 10 d from the operation day. Anti-fatigue effect was assessed by grasping test and biochemical parameters in blood or skeletal muscle were determined by autoanalyzer or commercially available kits. Transmission electron microscope was applied to observe the ultra microstructure of skeletal muscles. The results revealed that GRb1 significantly enhanced rat maximum grip strength with POFS. Similarly, negative alterations in biochemical parameters (lactic acid, hepatic glycogen, muscle glycogen and malondialdehyde) of POFS rats were improved by GRb1. In addition, GRb1 also increased the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase in POFS. No significant differences of levels of blood urea nitrogen and ultra microstructure of skeletal muscles were found between the POFS and GRb1 treatment rats. The potent anti-fatigue effect of GRb1 on POFS might be achieved through improvement of energy metabolism and suppression of skeletal muscle oxidative stress.

[Study on characteristics of energy metabolism in skeletal muscle of rats with postoperative fatigue syndrome and interventional effect of ginsenoside Rb1].

OBJECTIVE: To study characteristics of energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle of rats with postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) and the interventional effect of ginsenoside Rb1. METHOD: We chose resection of 70% of the "middle" small intestine as the rat model for POFS. Ninety-six adult male SPF SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, and the ginsenoside Rb1-treated group by body weight. And then, each group was further randomly divided into four subgroups, according to different postoperative investigated time points, such as postoperative day 1, postoperative day 3, postoperative day 7 and postoperative day 10. So the animals were divided into twelve subgroups (n = 8 in each subgroup). Rats of the control group and the model group were injected intraperitoneally with saline at the dose of 10 mL x kg(-1) one hour before the operation and once a day during the postoperative days. Rats of the ginsenoside Rb1-treated group were administered 10 mg x kg(-1) ginsenoside Rb1 by the same method. The skeletal muscles were sampled on postoperative day 1, 3, 7 and 10. The contents of ATP, ADP, AMP in skeletal muscles were determined by HPLC, and the activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase were investigated by colorimetry. RESULT: Compared with the control group, the content of ATP in skeletal muscle of rats of the model group decreased significantly on postoperative day 3 (P < 0.05), while the content of ADP significantly increased on postoperative day 7 and 10 (P < 0.05). The activity of Na(+)-K(+)-AT-Pase decreased on postoperative day 3 and 7 (P < 0.05), and the activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase decreased on postoperative day 7. After supplement of ginsenoside Rb1, on the investigated time points, all the negative changes of the indicators discovered above were significantly adjusted (P < 0.05) in rats of the ginsenoside Rb1-treated group, while no significant differences were investigated. CONCLUSION: During a certain period of postoperative time, the activity of energy metabolism is depressed in the skeletal muscle of rats with POFS, but it can be improved by supplement of ginsenoside Rb1.