Journal of ethnopharmacology
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Antitumor and immunomodulatory activities of an aqueous extract (GF100) of Acanthopanax senticosus were examined. In experimental lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells, intravenous (i.v.) administration of GF100 2 days before tumor inoculation significantly inhibited lung metastasis in a dose-dependent 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 addition, the i.v. administration of GF100 significantly augmented NK cytotoxicity to Yac-1 cells. The depletion of NK cells by injection of rabbit anti-asialo GM1 serum completely abolished the inhibitory effect of GF100 on lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 cells. These data suggest that GF100 has antitumor activity to inhibit tumor metastasis prophylactically as well as therapeutically, and its antitumor effect is associated with activation of macrophages and NK cells.