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Panax ginseng blocks morphine-induced thymic apoptosis by lowering plasma corticosterone level

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-3623(98)00240-7Get rights and content

Abstract

The effects of Panax ginseng on morphine-induced immune suppression were studied. Morphine (20 mg/kg, SC, 4 days) decreased body weight increment rate and caused atrophy of thymus and spleen. These changes were partly reversed by concomitant administration of ginseng total saponin (GTS, 100 mg/kg, oral, 9 days). Morphine elevated the serum corticosterone level and caused the DNA fragmentation of thymocytes. These sequential events were completely blocked by a concomitant administration of GTS. Flow cytometry analysis showed that GTS specifically blocked morphine-induced apoptosis of thymocytes.

Section snippets

Ginseng saponins

Ginseng saponins (from red ginseng) were kindly provided by the Korea Ginseng and Tobacco Research Institute (Taejeon, Korea).

Animal treatment

Balb/c mice were obtained from the Korea Institute of Chemical Technology Animal Center (Taejeon, Korea) and were maintained on a 12-h light/dark cycle. Food and water were freely accessible. Male balb/c mice 4- to 5-weeks old were used. GTS (100 mg/kg, oral) was administered once a day for 9 days, and morphine was subcutaneously injected from the 6th day to the 9th day

Effects of GTS on morphine-induced body-weight loss and lymphoid organ atrophy

As gross estimates of physiological and immunological conditions of the experimental animals, the growth rate and lymphoid organs weights were measured. Table 1 shows the effects of morphine on the increment rate of body weight and spleen and thymus weights, as well as how GTS affects them. Oral administration of GTS (100 mg/kg) alone did not change those parameters. Subcutaneous injection of morphine (20 mg/kg, 4 days) significantly inhibited the body-weight increment. In normal mice, the body

Discussion

Saponins are the most important constituents of ginseng. So far, a majority of the ginseng effects reported could be explained by the pharmacological actions of ginsenosides (ginseng saponins). Our previous stuides showed that GTS could restore morphine-induced depression of B-cell and T-cell functions (Lee et al., 1995). Other than those results, the effects of ginseng on morphine-induced immune suppression have not yet been reported.

The effects of morphine on thymus, spleen, and body weights

Summary

Morphine treatments have been reported to induce severe immunosuppression. In this study, the effects of Panax ginseng on morphine-induced immune suppression were studied. Morphine administration resulted in several immunosuppressions as reported previously. Morphine treatments (20 mg/kg, SC, 4 days) significantly decreased body-weight-increment rate and caused atrophy of immune organs such as the thymus and spleen. The effects of ginseng on spleen atrophy were most prominent. GTS (100 mg/kg,

Acknowledgements

This paper was supported in part by the Research Fund, Korea Tobacco Ginseng Research Institute.

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