Antitumor activity of Acanthopanax senticosus extract and its possible immunological mechanism

Antitumor and immunomodulatory activities of an aqueous extract (GF100) of Acanthopanax senticosus was examined. In experimental lung metastasis of colon26-M3.l carcinoma cells, intravenous (i.v.) administration of GF100 2 days before tumor inoculation significantly inhibited lung metastasis in a dose-dependant manner. The i.v. administration of GF100 also exhibited the therapeutic effect on tumor metastasis of colon26-M3.1 cells, when it was injected 1 day after tumor inoculation. In an in vitro cytotoxicity analysis, GF100 enhanced the responsiveness to a mitogen, concanavalin A (ConA), of splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner. (omitted)