Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the comparison of immunomodualtory effects of water-extracted Ginseng Radix(GR), Pilose Asia-bell(PA), Astragali Radix(AR), Astractylodes Rhizoma alba(AA) and Dioscoreae Rhizoma (DR). The parameter examined to assess apparent immunomodulatory effect of the water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR included the regulation of Nitric oxide (NO), the expression of Th1/Th2 type cytokine, the change of B cell phenotype. The water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR inhibited NO production and iNOS protein expression in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In the Th1 and Th2 cytokine expression, the water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR induced IL-2 and IFNr mRNA gene expression. Therefore, it seems that the water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR have a inducing effect of Th1 type cytokines. In the Flow cytometry analysis, the water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR did not change B cell phenotype (CD45R/B220). The water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR have a reducing effect of immune suppression cause by Methotrexate (MTX), an agent of immune suppression. These results suggest that the immunomodulatory effects of the water-extracted GR, PA, AR, AA and DR may be, in part, associated with the inducing IL-2 and IFNr mRNA gene expression in and regulation of NO production in macrophage cells.