[Effect of ginsenoside Rh2 on immunocompetence of alveolar macrophages in patients with non-small cell lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2) on the excretion of cytotoxin-effecting molecule of alveolar macrophages (AM) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
The concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and NO in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the cultured supernatants of AM in 35 patients with NSCLC were measured by ELISA and enzyme method,and levels of TNF-alpha and NO in the cultured supernatants of AM after being cultivated with IFN-alpha, G-Rh2, and IFN-alpha+G-Rh2 were measured by the same method.


RESULTS
AM in all the non-small cell lung cancer patients produced TNF-alpha and NO. The activity of TNF-alpha and NO was lower in the BALF and in the cultured supernatants of AM of the tumor-bearing lungs than that of the non-tumor-bearing lungs. The concentrations of TNF-alpha and NO in the cultured supernatants of AM cultivated with G-Rh2 were higher than those in the control (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences between the G-Rh2 group and IFN-alpha group (P>0.05). The concentrations of TNF-alpha and NO in the cultured supernatants of AM cultivated with both G-Rh2 and IFNalpha were obviously higher than those stimulated with IFNalpha or G-Rh2 (P<0.01) alone.


CONCLUSIONS
G-Rh2 can enhance the excretion of cytotoxin-effecting molecules of AM in patients with NSCLC. The changes are more distinctive when G-Rh2 and IFNalpha have coordinated action.
Zhou
Dong-bo
DB
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
Hu
Cheng-ping
CP
Liang
Shuo
S
Yang
Hong-zhong
HZ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D036145:Ginsenosides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C055305:ginsenoside Rh2