Abstract: BACKGROUND ＆ AIM: This study was designed to elucidate Rhubarb and its anti-tumor and immune modulation functions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The stem of Rhubarb was cooked in distilled water. It was prepared in three concentrations(100 mg/ml、50 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml)to observe its inhibitory effect on esophageal carcinoma cell and peripheral blood lymphocytes(PBL)in patients by MTT assay. RESULTS: There were different inhibitory effects of various rhubarb doses and serum concentration.Proliferation of Esophageal carcinoma cell was stronly inhibited with 0.1 mg/ml of Rhubarb. Inhibition rate was 51.9％; while, its effects on esophageal carcinoma cell was weaken at 37.9％.of Inhibition rate of patient PBL was 30.1％. The proliferation of PBL was induced with 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/ml of Rhuland. The inhibitory rate(36.7％) of the 1 000 mg/kg serum on carcinoma cell TE13 was much higher than that the 100 mg/kg serum(P<0.01). The inhibition rate(33.0％)of the 1 000 mg/kg serum for PBL was significantly different compared with negative and positive control(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Rhubarb and its serum content inhibited esophageal carcinoma cell. This suggestsed rhubarb had anticancer and immune modulation effect. The effects were related to rhubarb concentration.

Key words: Rhubarb, drug serum, esophageal carcinoma cell, cell proliferation