Abstract: Purpose : In order to study the role of anticancer and it s mechanism of acanthopanax sentiocosus (APS) in rat liver during 3′- MeDAB hepato carcinogenesis. Methods : 43 male SD rat s were randomly divided into three groups : group 1. 15 rat s received the basal diet as mormal cont rol. Group 2. 18 rat s received 0. 06 % 3′2MeDAB in there diet for 10 consecutive weeks and then a basal diet . Group 3. 10 rat s received 0. 06 % 3′2MeDAB along with APS (4. 5g/ kg diet) daily in food for 10 weeks. And then a basal diet along with the same dose of APS till the end of experiment . All animals received the diet and water adlibitum. Results :Comparision between two groups was made and the results showed that (1) the content of plasminogen activator inhibitor l( PAI - 1) of serum and liver of APS group rat s was decreased significantly than 3′2MeDAB group ( P < 0. 05) ,(2) The phases of the cell cycle of liver G0/ G phase was increased ( P < 0. 01) , proliferation index ( PI) and DNA index (DI) and the heteroploid were decreased ( P < 0. 01) , Sphase and G2M phase of APS group was decreased significantly than 3′2 MeDAB group ( P < 0. 05) , (3) ras p21 gene protein by FCM was decreased of APS group ( P < 0. 05) , (4) S2P immunohistochemical localization was expression of PCNA and bcl22. The amount of PCNA positive cell were little of APS group. There was no obvious difference of bcl22 expression between two groups , (5) The pathological changes by light and elect ron microscopic observation were light . Conclusion : The present data suggest that APS exhibited a protective effect s in the appearance of cancer induced by 3′ MeDAB through inhibiting the growth of cell decreasing the expression of ras P21 , decreasing the content of PAI2l during hepatocarcinogenesis.

Key words: acanthopanax senticosus, anticancer action, 3'-MeDAB, cell cycle, ras P21