Effects of majonoside-R2 on pentobarbital sleep and gastric lesion in psychologically stressed mice

The effects of Vietnamese ginseng (VG) and its major constituent majonoside-R2 on pentobarbital-induced sleep and gastric lesion in psychologically stressed mice were examined. Psychological stress exposure for 30 min significantly decreased the duration of pentobarbital (50 mg/kg, IP)-induced sleep in mice. VG extract (50 mg/kg, PO), VG saponin (25 mg/kg, PO), and majonoside-R2 (3.1-12.5 mg/kg, PO and IP) had no effect on pentobarbital sleep in unstressed control mice, but these drugs significantly recovered pentobarbital sleep decreased by psychological stress to the level of unstressed control animals. On the other hand, Panax ginseng (PG) extract (50-100 mg/kg, PO) failed to affect pentobarbital sleep in psychologically stressed mice. The effect of majonoside-R2 on psychological stress-induced decrease in the hypnotic activity of pentobarbital was significantly blocked by flumazenil (1 mg/kg, IV), a selective benzodiazepine antagonist. Diazepam (0.1 mg/kg, IP) significantly prolonged pentobarbital sleep in unstressed and psychologically stressed groups, and the effect of diazepam was significantly attenuated by the same dose of flumazenil. Naloxone (0.5-5 mg/kg, IP), an opioid antagonist, had no effect on pentobarbital sleep in unstressed or psychologically stressed animals. Psychological stress exposure for 16 h caused gastric lesion in mice. VG extract (25-50 mg/kg, PO) and majonoside-R2 (6.2-12.5 mg/kg, PO), as well as diazepam and naloxone, produced the protective action on gastric lesion in psychologically stressed mice. These results suggest that VG and its major constituent majonoside-R2 have the protective effects on the psychological stress-induced pathophysiological changes and that benzodiazepine receptors are partly implicated in the effects of majonoside-R2.