Effect and mechanism of action of Ginsinoside on secretion of TNF-α by mouse alveolar macrophages

Objective:To investigate the effect of Ginsinoside Rg1 and Rb1 on the excess secretion of TNF α by mouse alveolar macrophages(AM)stimulated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and study the mechanism of the action.Methods:With the mouse AMs cultured in vitro,the levels of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF α)in cell culture supernatants(ELISA),the expression of I κB in AMs(immunocytochemistry)and the levels of LPS in cell culture supernatants(Quantitative Limus Assay)were observed.Results:The levels of TNF α were significantly increased and the expression of I κB in AMs was significantly decreased in LPS group in comparison with that in control group( P 0.01).The levels of TNF α were much lower and the expression of I κB was much higher in Rg1+LPS group compared with the LPS group ( P 0.01).The levels of LPS in supernatants was much more higher in Rg1+LPS group than that in LPS group ( P 0.05). Rb1+LPS group had the similar results as the Rg1+LPS group did.Conclusion: Ginsinoside Rg1 and Rb1 could suppress the excess secretion of TNF α.The mechanism of suppression was probably that Ginsinoside could block the combination of LPS with AM membrane,and restrain the low expression of I κB and production of TNF α induced by LPS.