The effects of total saponins of panax ginseng on hematopoietic progenitor cells in healthy humans and aplastic anemia patients

Abstract

Ginseng is said to have beneficial effects on anemia. The proliferation effects of total saponins of Panax ginseng (TSPG) on hematopoietic progenitor cell in healthy individuals and 29 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) were observed through bone marrow cultures of burst forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), colony forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) and colony forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) in vitro compared with methyltestosterone (MT). The results suggest TSPG might prompt the proliferation of normal progenitor cells at a concentration of 20 µg/ml. The numbers of BFU-E,CFU-E and CFU-GM increased by 37.8±2.9%, 31.4±2.9% and 33.3±4.0% respectively overthe controls; furthermore TSPG was still useful to BFU-E, CFU-E growth without Epo in vitro, although the colony numbers were much lower. Otherwise MT was useless to CFU-GM. Of the 29 patients with AA, 14 who responded to MT showed sensitivity to TSPG in marrow culture (the rising rate of colony formation exceeded 30%), but immune-mediated AA (patient’s peripheral blood mononucleated cell suppressed normal hematopoiesis) and stem cell decreased AA (few of colonies were formed) showed almost no expression for TSPG activity because of the immunological suppression system and the absence of progenitors.