Increased Th1 cytokine secretion by chiisanogenin and chiisanoside isolated from Acanthopanax chiisanensis

Acanthopanax species (Araliaceae) is used traditionally in Korea, Japan, and China, and is known for its ginsenglike activities and among them, Acanthopanax chiisanensis Nakai is one of the most abundant. In this study, we investigated the effects of chiisanoside and chiisanogenin isolated from A. chiisanensis on the secretion of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by human lymphocyte cell line U937. Our results show an increase in Th1 cytokine (IL-2, IL-12, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) secretion which suggests that chiisanogenin and chiisanoside from A. chiisanensis may influence the immune response towards a predominance of Th1 cytokines in the immune system. Further studies on Th2 cytokine secretion may be needed to confirm this conclusion.