Interferon-γ-Mediated Natural Killer Cell Activation by an Aqueous Panax ginseng Extract

Figure 5

Activation of NK cytotoxicity by oral administration of aqueous, but not ethanol, P. ginseng extract. (a) WT B6 mice ( in each group) were administered with aqueous extract (circle), 95% (diamond) or 50% (triangle) ethanol extracts of P. ginseng (100 mg/kg), or the same volume (200 μL) of water (square) on days -2 and -1. Liver and spleen MNCs were prepared and cytotoxicity was analyzed using YAC-1 cells at the indicated effector/target ratios. Data are shown as mean ± SD of triplicate samples of all tested mice. Similar results were obtained in three independent experiments. compared with the control at all effector/target ratios. (b) The populations of liver and spleen MNCs were also analyzed by flow cytometry. The MNC number and % of NK cells are indicated below every panel. Data are shown as mean ± SD of three mice in each group. Similar results were obtained in three independent experiments.

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