Red ginseng extract improves coronary flow reserve and increases absolute numbers of various circulating angiogenic cells in patients with first ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction

The effects of red ginseng extract on circulating angiogenic cell mobilization and improvement of microvascular integrity were evaluated in ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients during 8-month follow-up. AMI patients (n = 50) were randomly assigned to the red ginseng group (3 g/day, n = 25) or the placebo group (n = 25) after coronary stenting. Coronary flow reserve (CFR) was measured at baseline and at 8 months with an intracoronary Doppler wire. Serial changes in the absolute numbers of circulating angiogenic cells such as CD34⁺, CXCR4⁺, CD117⁺, CD133⁺ and C-met⁺ were measured at baseline, 1 day, 5 days and at 8 months. CFR were similar between the two groups at baseline, and CFR was significantly higher in the red ginseng group than in the placebo group (2.80 ± 0.91 and 2.56 ± 0.77, p < 0.05, respectively) after 8 months of red ginseng administration. The absolute numbers of circulating CD34⁺, CXCR4⁺ and CD117⁺ cells were significantly higher in the red ginseng group at 1 and 5 days after stenting. Significant positive correlations were found between the numbers of circulating angiogenic cells at day 1 and the changes from baseline in CFR for CD34⁺, CXCR4⁺, CD117⁺ and C-met⁺ cells. Red ginseng extract increased CD34⁺, CXCR4⁺ and CD117⁺ circulating angiogenic cell mobilization and decreased inflammation in AMI patients, thereby improving CFR during the 8-month follow-up.