Restoration of radiation injury by ginseng. I. Responses of X-irradiated mice to ginseng extract.

Radiation protection from bone marrow death by a single injection of partially purified ginseng extact after whole-body X-irradiation was confirmed in JCL-ICR mice. The extract was efficacious both by intraperitoneal and intravenous injection. The extract protected mice when it was injected from 2 days before irradiation to 2.5 hr after that. Recovery of splenic weight and splenic DNA was stimulated by the extract, but that of thymic weight was not. Stimulated recovery by the extract was also observed in thrombocyte and erythrocyte counts, while the extract did not markedly affect recovery of leukocyte counts. The extract also increased 30-day survival ratio of splenectomized mice. In splenectomized mice recovery of only thrombocyte counts was stimulated by the extract. Recovery of thrombocyte counts after exposure is assumed one of the most important factors for restoration of bone marrow death.