Chemoprevention of Mammary, Cervix and Nervous system Carcinogenesis in Animals using Cultured Panax ginseng Drugs and Preliminary Clinical Trials in Patients with Precancerous Lesions of the Esophagus and Endometrium

Bespalov, Vladimir G; Alexandrov, Valeriy A; Limarenko, Andrey Y; Voytenkov, Boris O; Okulov, Valeriy B; Kabulov, Mels K; Peresunko, Alexander P; Slepyan, Larisa I; Davydov, Viktor V

J Korean Med Sci. 2001 Dec;16(Suppl):S42-S53. 10.3346/jkms.2001.16.S.S42.

Chemoprevention of Mammary, Cervix and Nervous system Carcinogenesis in Animals using Cultured Panax ginseng Drugs and Preliminary Clinical Trials in Patients with Precancerous Lesions of the Esophagus and Endometrium

Affiliations

¹Group of Cancer Chemoprevention, N.N. Petrov, Research Institute of Oncology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia.
²Russia Laboratory of Immunology, N.N. Petrov Research Institute of Oncology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia.
³Department for Study of the Esophagus Cancer, Karakalpak's Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Nukus.
⁴Uzbekistan Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chernovtsy's State Medical Institute, Chernovtsy.
⁵Ukraine Chair of Physiology, State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia.

KMID: 1721174
DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2001.16.S.S42

Abstract

The anticarcinogenic effects and mechanisms of the biotechnological drugs of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer cultivated in Russia, bioginseng, panaxel and panaxel- 5, were studied. Bioginseng was produced from a tissue culture of ginseng root cultured on standard medium, whereas panaxel and panaxel-5 were produced from ginseng tissue root cultures using standard mediums enriched with 2-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide and 1-hydroxygermatran-monohydrate respectively. All three ginseng drugs inhibited the development of mammary tumors induced by intramammary injections of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) in rats, the development of the brain and spinal cord tumors induced by transplacental administration of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) in rats, and the development of uterine, cervical and vaginal tumors induced by intravaginal applications of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in mice. The ginseng drugs induced the cytotoxic activity of macrophages in mice, enhanced T-lymphocyte rosette formation in guinea pigs exposed to cyclophosphamide, and stimulated the production of thyroid hormones in rats. These mechanisms may contribute to the anticarcinogenic action of the ginseng drugs. The organic germanium compounds present in panaxel and panaxel-5 did not potentiate the anticarcinogenic or immuno- stimulatory effects as much as biogeinseng. Preliminary clinical trials with panaxel and bioginseng were carried out in patients with precancerous lesions of the esophagus and endometrium. Panaxel was found to have a strong therapeutic effect in patients suffering from chronic erosive esophagitis. Bioginseng induced the regression of adenomatous-cystic hyperplasia of the endometrium in some patients. Thus, we conclude that the drugs of ginseng appear to hold considerable promise for future cancer chemoprevention.

Keyword

Chemical Carcinogenesis; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Ginseng; Precancerous Conditions; Chemoprevention

MeSH Terms

Chemoprevention of Mammary, Cervix and Nervous system Carcinogenesis in Animals using Cultured Panax ginseng Drugs and Preliminary Clinical Trials in Patients with Precancerous Lesions of the Esophagus and Endometrium

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