title: American ginseng attenuates azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate-induced colon carcinogenesis in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and inflammatory bowel disease is a risk factor for this malignancy. We previously reported colon cancer chemoprevention potential using American ginseng (AG) in a xenograft mice model. However, the nude mouse model is not a gut-specific colon carcinogenesis animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, an experimental colitis and colitis-associated colorectal carcinogenesis mouse model, chemically induced by azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was established and the effects of oral AG were evaluated. The contents of representative ginseng saponins in the extract were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AG significantly reduced experimental colitis measured by the disease activity index scores. This suppression of the experimental colitis was not only evident during DSS treatment, but also very obvious after the cessation of DSS, suggesting that the ginseng significantly promoted recovery from the colitis. Consistent with the anti-inflammation data, we showed that ginseng very significantly attenuated azoxymethane/DSS-induced colon carcinogenesis by reducing the colon tumor number and tumor load. The ginseng also effectively suppressed DSS-induced proinflammatory cytokines activation using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay array, in which 12 proinflammatory cytokine levels were assessed, and this effect was supported subsequently by real-time polymerase chain reaction data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AG, as a candidate of botanical-based colon cancer chemoprevention, should be further investigated for its potential clinical utility.
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; School of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, and Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Biomass Conversion and Process Integration, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, China.
authors.forename: Chunhao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Chun-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Adiba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Tong-Chuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Chong-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA ; Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Chun-Su
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yuan
keywords: American ginseng; azoxymethane; carcinogenesis; chemoprevention; dextran sodium sulfate