Effects of American Ginseng on Insulin Resistance in Healthy Volunteers Taking Indinavir
Author Information
Author(s): Andrade Adriana SA, Hendrix Craig, Parsons Teresa L, Caballero Benjamin, Yuan Chun-Su, Flexner Charles W, Dobs Adrian S, Brown Todd T
Primary Institution: The Johns Hopkins University
Hypothesis
Can American ginseng reverse insulin resistance induced by the HIV protease inhibitor indinavir?
Conclusion
Indinavir decreases insulin sensitivity, which is not improved by American ginseng co-administration.
Supporting Evidence
- Indinavir administration decreased insulin sensitivity by an average of 14.8%.
- American ginseng did not significantly alter the pharmacokinetics of indinavir.
- Insulin sensitivity remained unchanged after co-administration of indinavir and ginseng.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether American ginseng could help people taking a specific HIV medication that makes it harder for their bodies to use insulin. It found that ginseng didn't help with this problem.
Methodology
Healthy volunteers received indinavir for 3 days, followed by co-administration with American ginseng for 14 days, with assessments of insulin sensitivity and pharmacokinetics.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of women and the majority of participants being African-American.
Limitations
The study only included male participants and had a small sample size, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
13 healthy volunteers, all male, aged 26-53, with a mean age of 42.9; 12 African-American and 2 white.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Confidence Interval
95% CI for various PK parameters
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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