title: Anti-proliferative effects of ginsenosides extracted from mountain ginseng on lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of three major ginsenosides from mountain ginseng as anticancer substance and explore the underlying mechanism involved in lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The inhibitory proliferation of lung cancer by major five ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rg1, Rc, and Re) was examined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Calculated 50% inhibition (IC50) values of five ginsenosides were determined and compared each other. Apoptosis by the treatment of single ginsenoside was performed by fluorescence-assisted cytometric spectroscopy. The alterations of apoptosis-related proteins were evaluated by Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The abundance of ginsenosides in butanol extract of mountain ginseng (BX-MG) was revealed in the order of Rb1, Rg1, Re, Rc and Rb2. Among them, Rb1 was the most effective to lung cancer cell, followed by Rb2 and Rg1 on the basis of relative IC50 values of IMR90 versus A549 cell. The alterations of apoptotic proteins were confirmed in lung cancer A549 cells according to the administration of Rb1, Rb2 and Rg1. The expression levels of caspase-3 and caspase-8 were increased upon the treatment of three ginsenosides, however, the levels of caspase-9 and anti-apoptotic protein Bax were not changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rb2 and Rg1 comprising BX-MG induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells via extrinsic apoptotic pathway rather than intrinsic mitochondrial pathway.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Gyu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, 302-122, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Rang
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyeong Eun
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea.|Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.
authors.forename: So Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea.
authors.forename: Zee-Won
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea. altyhs@dju.kr.
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea.
authors.forename: Ik-Soon
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, Korea. jschoi@kbsi.re.kr.|Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea. jschoi@kbsi.re.kr.
authors.forename: Jong-Soon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, 302-122, Korea.
authors.forename: Hwa-Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D000072283:A549 Cells; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D000440:Butanols; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D000440:Butanols; D036145:Ginsenosides; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Butanol extract of mountain ginseng; apoptosis; ginsenoside; lung cancer