title: Stereospecificity of ginsenoside Rg3 in promotion of the immune response to ovalbumin in mice.
abstract: Our previous investigation demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg3 was active in promotion of the immune response. In this study, two epimers, 20(R)-Rg3 and 20(S)-Rg3, were compared for their adjuvant effects on the immune response against ovalbumin (OVA). BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with 10 μg of OVA alone or with 10 μg of OVA mixed in 20(R)-Rg3 (50 μg) or 20(S)-Rg3 (50 μg) on days 1 and 15. Two weeks after the last immunization, blood was sampled to test IgG and the IgG subclasses as well as IFN-γ and IL-5; splenocytes were prepared to measure proliferative responses to stimulations with Con A, LPS and OVA and mRNA expressions of cytokines and transcription factors by reverse transcription-PCR. Results indicated that both 20(R)-Rg3 and 20(S)-Rg3 exhibited the adjuvant effect on OVA-induced immune responses. 20(R)-Rg3 promoted significantly higher serum-specific IgG and the IgG isotype responses in association with highly up-regulated serum IFN-γ and IL-5 than 20(S)-Rg3. In addition, 20(R)-Rg3 significantly enhanced splenocyte proliferative responses to Con A, LPS and OVA as well as mRNA expression of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-4 and IL-10 and transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3 by splenocytes when compared with the 20(S)-Rg3. Therefore, ginsenoside Rg3 is stereospecific in stimulation of the immune response, and 20(R)-Rg3 has more potent adjuvant activity than 20(S)-Rg3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Tingjun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Songhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D036145:Ginsenosides; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor; C097367:ginsenoside Rg3; D010047:Ovalbumin