title: Nitric oxide is involved in the immunomodulating activities of acidic polysaccharide from Panax ginseng.
abstract: The effects of an acidic polysaccharide isolated from the ethanol-insoluble and water-soluble fraction of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer on immunomodulating activities were investigated. A high output nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was shown in female BALB/c mice administered intraperitoneally with the acidic polysaccharide from ginseng. Newly synthesized iNOS protein was also observed in peritoneal macrophages cultured with interferon-gamma and the acidic polysaccharide. Spleen cells from acidic polysaccharide-treated mice did not proliferate in response to concanavalin A, but restored the responsiveness by the cotreatment of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA) with concanavalin A. The treatment of mice with aminoguanidine, a specific iNOS inhibitor, alleviated the acidic polysaccharide-induced suppression of antibody response to sheep red blood cells. Present results suggest that the immunomodulating activities of the acidic polysaccharide were mediated by the production of nitric oxide.
authors: Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Research Institute, Taejon, Korea.
authors: K M
authors: KM
authors: Park
authors: Y S
authors: YS
authors: Kim
authors: T C
authors: TC
authors: Jeong
authors: C O
authors: CO
authors: Joe
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Shin
authors: Y H
authors: YH
authors: Lee
authors: K Y
authors: KY
authors: Nam
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005260:Female; D006146:Guanidines / Q000633:toxicity; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D037121:Plant Lectins; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006146:Guanidines; D037121:Plant Lectins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D003208:Concanavalin A; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C004479:pimagedine