Panax Ginseng Extract Inhibits Triple Negative Breast Cancer Xenograft Tumor Growth in Immunodeficient Mice

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer with the worst prognosis. Treatments for patients with TNBC in early stage mainly include surgery in combination with chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy. These treatments are often associated with side effects and some are severe. Alternative therapeutic agents for TNBC treatment are urgently needed. Panax Ginseng has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and its anti-cancer property is increasingly recognized.

Objective: This study was to investigate effects of Panax Ginseng extract in a form of drinking solution containing ultrafine particle of Ginseng powder on TNBC xenograft tumor growth.

Methods: TNBC xenograft tumors were developed by implanting MDA-MB-231-Luc cells into immunodeficient female nude mice. The mice (n=20) were sorted to four groups (5/group) and treated once-a-day without (as control) or with Panax Ginseng root extract (GRD) in drinking solution at doses of 3 mL (4.4 mg), 6 mL (8.8 mg) and 12 mL (17.6 mg) per kilogram body weight, respectively, for 27 days. The tumor volume in vivo was measured using a caliper and estimated by in vivo imaging analysis. The tumor mass dissected at terminal experiment was weighed using an analytical balance. Differential gene expression analysis was performed on the dissected tumors.

Results: Tumor growth reductions were observed in the GRD-solution treated mice in a dose-dependent manner. The high-dose (12 mL/kg) treatment reduced tumor volume to 6.8% of the control mice and showed a total inhibition of the tumor growth on the terminal experiment. Differential gene expression analysis revealed 475 up-regulated and 591 down-regulated genes (>1.5-foldchange, p<0.05) from the GRD-solution treated mice when compared to the control. Regulatory effect analysis based on the gene expression data suggested a prediction mode indicating the GRD-solution’s inhibition of the TNBC tumor growth via inhibitions of tumor cell invasion and/or migration.

Conclusion: Panax Ginseng extract in drinking solution significantly reduced triple negative breast cancer xenograft growth in the immunodeficient mice. The level of reduction was dose dependent. The mechanisms of action involved inhibition of the tumor cell invasion and migration.

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