title: Panax ginseng modulates cytokines in bone marrow toxicity and myelopoiesis: ginsenoside Rg1 partially supports myelopoiesis.
abstract: In this study, we have demonstrated that Korean Panax ginseng (KG) significantly enhances myelopoiesis in vitro and reconstitutes bone marrow after 5-flurouracil-induced (5FU) myelosuppression in mice. KG promoted total white blood cell, lymphocyte, neutrophil and platelet counts and improved body weight, spleen weight, and thymus weight. The number of CFU-GM in bone marrow cells of mice and serum levels of IL-3 and GM-CSF were significantly improved after KG treatment. KG induced significant c-Kit, SCF and IL-1 mRNA expression in spleen. Moreover, treatment with KG led to marked improvements in 5FU-induced histopathological changes in bone marrow and spleen, and partial suppression of thymus damage. The levels of IL-3 and GM-CSF in cultured bone marrow cells after 24 h stimulation with KG were considerably increased. The mechanism underlying promotion of myelopoiesis by KG was assessed by monitoring gene expression at two time-points of 4 and 8 h. Treatment with Rg1 (0.5, 1 and 1.5 µmol) specifically enhanced c-Kit, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression in cultured bone marrow cells. Our results collectively suggest that the anti-myelotoxicity activity and promotion of myelopoiesis by KG are mediated through cytokines. Moreover, the ginsenoside, Rg1, supports the role of KG in myelopoiesis to some extent.
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Daejeon Oriental Hospital Daejeon, University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. hbr_bala@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hanumantha Rao Balaji
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Raghavendran
authors.forename: Rekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sathyanath
authors.forename: Jangwoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyeong Keug
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: JungHyo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chang Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D038042:Myelopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005894:Panax / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D007377:Interleukin-3; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; C035054:ginsenoside Rg1; D005472:Fluorouracil