[Effect of total saponins of Panax ginseng on hematopoietic progenitor cells in normal human and aplastic anemia patients].

Ginseng was said to be benefit for anemia in TCM. Proliferation effects of total saponins of panax ginseng (TSPG) on hematopoietic progenitor cell in normal individuals and 29 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) were observed by bone marrow culture of BFU-E, CFU-E, CFU-GM in vitro compared with methyltestosterone (MT). The results showed that TSPG might prompt proliferation of normal progenitor cells at the concentration of 20 micrograms/ml. The number of BFU-E, CFU-E and CFU-GM had increased by 37.8 +/- 2.9%, 31.4 +/- 2.9% and 33.3 +/- 4.0% over the controls respectively; furthermore TSPG was still useful to BFU-E, CFU-E growth without Epo in vitro, although the colony numbers were very lower. Otherwise MT was useless to CFU-GM. 14 of the 29 patients with AA who responded to MT showed sensitivity to TSPG in marrow culture (the rising rate of colony formation exceeded 30%), but immune-mediated AA (patient's PBMNC suppressed normal hematopoiesis) and stem cell-decreased AA (few of colony was formed) showed almost no expression for TSPG activity because of immunological suppression system and absence of progenitors.