Abstract
The effects of saikosaponin-d (ssd), isolated from Bupleurum radix, on phagocytic functions of mouse peritoneal macrophages were investigated in macrophage cultures after treatment in vivo. We also compared the ultrastructural appearances of macrophages from ssd-treated mice with those from control mice. The macrophages from ssd-treated mice showed a significant increase in phagocytosis, intracellular killing of yeast and acid phosphatase activity. Treatment of mice with ssd also induced the Fc receptor expression in macrophages. The macrophages from ssd-treated mice showed more intense spreading on a glass surface than those from the control mice after a 60 min-incubation. Furthermore, the macrophages from ssd-treated mice seemed to possess a well-developed Golgi apparatus and the large vacuoles. The data suggest that the functional changes in the macrophages from ssd-treated mice are brought about by a modification in the surface membrane and the intracellular distribution.
