Antitumor activities and immunomodulatory effects of ginseng neutral polysaccharides in combination with 5-fluorouracil.
A neutral polysaccharide fraction (WGPN) prepared from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer by hot water extraction and DEAE-cellulose chromatography was tested for its anticancer activity alone and in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in Sarcoma-180 (S180) tumor-bearing mice by intragastric administration. WGPN alone inhibited S180 tumor growth in a bell-shaped dose-response curve, and the combination with 5-FU showed a synergistic effect. Studies of various immunological activities in S180-bearing mice revealed that WGPN stimulated the proliferation of lymphocytes, increased natural killer cell cytotoxicity, enhanced the phagocytosis and nitric oxide production by macrophages, and increased the level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in serum. In combination with 5-FU, WGPN mitigated damage to the immune system caused by 5-FU in S180-bearing mice. These results suggest that WGPN might be a potential adjuvant for chemotherapeutic drugs.
School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Weihua
W
Ni
Xu
X
Zhang
Bo
B
Wang
Yan
Y
Chen
Han
H
Han
Yuying
Y
Fan
Yifa
Y
Zhou
Guihua
G
Tai
D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005472:Fluorouracil