Effect Of 20 (R)-Ginsenoside Rg3 On The Immunity Function In Mice

Introduction: The ingredients of ginseng have been investigated since 19th century in Japan, Germany, Russia, Korea and China. Now, there are more than 40 ginsenosides separated from ginseng. It is shown that ginsenoside Rg3 is more active in pharmacology activities than the other ginsenosides. It can prevent fatigue, reduce the level of blood sugar, and inhibit the growth of some tumor cells, such as stomach cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. The mechanisms of the preventive effect of 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 (ginsenoside Rg3) on metastasis of tumors are possibly related to decreasing the level of NO, preventing the adhering of tumor cells to the tissue outside cells, reducing the concentration of Ca²⁺ in the cells and so on. Much more researches on the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on the immunity function have been launched. In this study, we investigated the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on the immunity function in mice to provide scientifically laboratory evidences for the clinical trial.Methods: Twenty Kunming mice (10 female and 10 male) were randomly divided into normal animal model and mice bearing tumor model. Forty mice (20 female and 20 male) were randomly divided into 4 groups according to their weights: control, ginsenoside Rg3 at low dose (3mg/kg weight), ginsenoside Rg3 at middle dose (6mg/kg weight), ginsenoside Rg3 at high dose (12mg/kg weight). Mice were treated by gavage with ginsenoside Rg3 or distilled water once a day for 10 consecutive days. Phagocytosis of chicken erythrocyte by peritoneal macrophage was examined. After the mice were killed, spleen and thymus were removed and weighted.