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.
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