Abstract: Objective To investigate the protective effect of Acanthopanax Senticosus polysaccharide on peripheral hematological cells in rats irradiated with 60Co γ ray.Methods Sixty-three male rats were randomly divided into 7 groups,i.e.the normal control group,the irradiation control group,the WR-2721 group,the 523 group and the 3 experimental groups with high (200 mg · kg-1 · d-1 ), moderate (100 mg · kg-1 · d-1) and low (50 mg· kg-1 · d-1) doses of Acanthopanax Senticosus polysaccharide.The marrow-depressed model rats received 5 Gy 60Co γ ray whole body irradiation with a dose absorption rate of (0.388 Gy/h) except those in the normal control group.WBC,RBC and PLT in the peripheral blood were detected with hemocytometer both on the 5th day before irradiation and the 3rd and 10th days after exposure.Results When detected on the 3rd day following irradiation,WBC in the peripheral blood of the irradiated animals decreased to a level of (2.482 ±0.808) × 109 · ml-1,RBC to a level of (7.680 ±0.926) × 1012·ml-1 and PLT to a point of (360.000±43.967) × 109 · ml-1,having a rather significant decrease in the indices,when compared with those of the normal control group (P < 0.01 ). On the 10th day following irradiation,WBC in the peripheral blood of the irradiated control animals decreased to a level of (4.764 ±0.679) × 109 · ml - 1,RBC decreased to (9.004 ± 0.761 ) × 1012 · ml -1 and PLT to ( 390.000 ± 43.967 ) ×109 · ml-1,with all the indices decreasing more obviously than those of the normal control group(P < 0.01 ).Data detection before irradiation with 60Co γ ray indicated that WBC,RBC and PLT in the peripheral blood of the experimental animals elevated to various extent,when compared with those of the normal control group.Detection after irradiation showed that Acanthopanax Senticosus polysaccharide could obviously increase the levels of WBC,RBC and PLT in the peripheral blood of the irradiated animals,when compared with those of the irradiation group. Conclusions Our experimental results showed that Acanthopanax Senticosus polysaccharide seemed to have an obvious protective effect on peripheral hematological cells in marrowdepressed rats irradiated with 60Co γ ray.