Suppression of the formation of sister chromatid exchanges by low concentrations of ginsenoside Rh2 in human blood lymphocytes
Zhu, J.H.; Takeshita, T.; Kitagawa, I.; Morimoto, K.
Cancer Research 55(6): 1221-1223
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-5472 PMID: 7882311 Document Number: 447763
To assess the antimutagenic potentials of ginsenoside Rh-2 (Rh-2), its effects on the baseline and mitomycin C-induced sister chromatid exchange (SCE) were examined in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The SCE frequency in PBLs treated with various concentrations of Rh-2 for 72 h was decreased in a dose-dependent manner and was significantly lower than the baseline levels at 1.0 times 10-10 m and 1.0 times 10-7 m. The SCE frequency in PBLs treated with both Rh-2 and mitomycin C was significantly (P lt 0.001) less than that in PBLs treated with only mitomycin C. Cell cycle kinetics, as indicated by the proliferation and mitotic indices, was not significantly affected by Rh-2 of various concentrations in the PBLs throughout the present experiments. This is the first report which showed convincingly a reduction of SCE in normal human cells. The mechanism remains to be elucidated in future studies.