pubmed-article:20625988 | pubmed:abstractText | Panax ginseng (PG) is a medicinal herb which has been used to improve male reproduction in traditional Korean medicine. This study investigated the effect of PG on spermatogenesis and the regulation of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which has a crucial role in spermatogonial stem cell maintenance. PG was administered to 8-week-old male Wistar rats (1.0?g/kg/day, p.o.) for 56 consecutive days, the sperm formation period of the rat. Sperm analysis, RT-PCR and western blot assays were then carried out. The PG-treated group had significantly enhanced sperm counts, GDNF mRNA level and protein level. These results suggest that PG induces spermatogenesis and GDNF activation in rat testes. | lld:pubmed |