Mountain-Cultivated Ginseng Attenuates Phencyclidine-Induced Abnormal Behaviors in Mice by Positive Modulation of Glutathione in the Prefrontal Cortex of Mice.
Journal of medicinal food October 1, 2016 The-Vinh Tran, Eun-Joo Shin, Sung Kwon Ko et al.
Mountain-cultivated ginseng (MG) reduces schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice treated with phencyclidine (PCP) by positively modulating the glutathione system. PCP caused abnormal behaviors, decreased the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), and reduced glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the prefrontal cortex, while increasing Nrf2 activity and glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) expression. MG (200 mg/kg) given for seven days after PCP treatment reversed these behavioral and biochemical changes, with effects comparable to the antipsychotic clozapine. The findings suggest MG protects against PCP-induced psychosis through restoring glutathione system function.