Stimulating activity of Chinese medicinal herbs on human lymphocytes in vitro

The effects of eight kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs (CMH) on human lympho cytes was studied in vitro. The extract of Cinnamomum cassia presl markedly stimulated human lymphocytes to proliferate. Codonopsis pilosula, Oldenlan dia diffusa and Rhizoma typhonii weakly stimulated. These extracts enhanced cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity, but failed to enhance natural kille r (NK)-cell activity. The extracts of these CMHs have stimulatory effect on immunoglobulin (Ig) production by B-cells and interleukin(IL)-1 production by monocytes. These activities of Cinnamomum cassia pr esl extract are ass ociated with glycoproteins, whose molecular weight was about 100 KDa. These results suggest that CMH extracts have a stimulating activity on human lym phocytes and these abilities could be used clinically for the treatment of diseases such as cancer. (C) 1999 International Society for Immunopharmacol ogy. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.