EFFECT OF ELECTROACUPUNCTURE ON RED BLOOD CELL IMMUNE AND T-CELL SUBGROUP IN THE RAT

In the present study, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on immune system was observed in the rat by using micro- whole blood direct immunofluorescence staining assay to detect changes of the peripheral blood T lymphocyte subgroup and employing red blood cell (RBC) C 3b receptor- yeast rosette test and red blood cell-IC rosette test to analyze erythrocytic immune function. Results showed that after EA of “Zusanli" (ST 36), CD+ 4, RBC-C 3bRR and RBC-ICR in the peripheral blood of the normal rats increased significantly while CD+ 8 had no any considerable changes and a positive correlation between CD+ 4 and RBC-C 3bRR was found. In immunosuppression model rats, the values of CD+ 4 and RBC-C 3bRR were obviously lower than those of the normal control group while CD+ 8 had no any striking changes; but after EA treatment, there were no evident differences between EA group and normal control group in the above-mentioned indexes. There were also no any significant differences between non-acupoint group and normal control group in those indexes. Results suggest that EA of “Zusanli" (ST 36) can raise T cell immune function and RBC adhesion function in both normal rats and immunosuppression model rats, both of which present a positive correlation.

TREATMENT OF CHRONIC BRONCHITIS WITH FIFTY-YING-ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of Fifty ying acupuncture therapy for treatment of chronic bronchitis, and to explore its underlying mechanisms. Methods: A total of 36 out and in patients with chronic bronchitis including 10 cases of asthma were subjected into this study. Among them, 20 cases were qi deficiency type and 16 qi yin deficiency with phlegm damp type. The changes of symptoms, T lymphocyte subgroups of CD 3 +, CD 4 +, CD 8 +, CD 4 +/CD 8 +, soluble interleuki 2 receptor (SIL 2 R), interleukin 6(IL 6), IgG, IgA and IgM before and after treatment were observed and detected using monoclonal indirect fluorescence method, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nephelometry respectively. Results: (1)The effective rate of qi dificiency type was 100% and that of qi yin deficiency with phlegm damp type 87.5%. (2) After acupuncture treatment, in qi deficiency type patients, serum IgG, IgA and IgM contents increased significantly (P<0.001) in comparison with pre treatment and in qi yin deficiency with phlegm damp type patients, IgG level lowered obviously. Serum SIL 2R and CD 4 +/CD 8 + decreased obviously (P<0.01, 0.001), CD 3 +, CD 4 + and CD 8 + increased evidently (P<0.01). Conclusion: The Fifty ying acupuncture therapy can better clinical symptoms of chronic bronchitis patients through its resultant up regulation of the immune system function.

Traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of chronic hepatitis B with precore mutant

ABM: This study aims at exploring the distribution of TCM syndromes in CHB patients with HBV pre-core mutation (1896) and the relationship between pre-core mutation and T lymphocytes subgroup, through which to provide objective data on clinical syndrome differentiation of TCM, and further to suggest the therapeutic principle and guide clinical treatment. METHODS: One hundred and forty CHB patients were evenly divided into two study groups, HBV pre-core mutant group and HBV pre-core wild-type group. Besides, 30 healthy blood donors were selected as a healthy control group. HBV-labeled compound, T lymphocytes subgroup, and HBV-DNA pre-core mutant were tested in the study groups. T lymphocytes subgroup were also tested in the control group. All the patients were both diagnosed by syndrome differentiation of TCM and western medicine. RESULTS: The most common syndrome in mutant group was damp-heat combined with blood stasis, and the most common syndrome in the wild-type group was damp-heat stasis in the middle-jiao. There were more cases of medium and severe hepatitis in mutant group than that in wild-type group. The content of CD4+ lymphocytes and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were decreased gradually (healthy control group>wild-type group>mutant group). In the wild-type group, severe and medium CHB patients had considerably lower level of them than mild CHB patients. However, in the mutant group, the opposite result appeared. Meanwhile, the content of HBV-DNA in mutant group was higher than that in wild-type group. CONCLUSION: Damp, heat, toxin and blood stasis were the basic pathogens of CHB, whether pre-core mutant or not. CHB with precore mutant may lead to more severe hepatitis. The decreased content of CD4+ lymphocytes and ratio of CD4+/CD8+ may be taken as one of the indices in confirming the deficiency syndrome of CHB patients with pre-core mutation.

Immunomodulatory effects of Caulerpa racemosa var peltata polysaccharide and its selenizing product on T lymphocytes and NK cells in mice

A polysaccharide, CrvpPS, was isolated from Caulerpa racemosa var peltata. It was reacted with nano-selenium in distilled water containing ascorbic acid (Vit C) to form a stable CrvpPS-nano-Se complex. The immunomodulatory effects of CrvpPS and CrvpPS-nano-Se on T lymphocytes subgroups and NK cells in mice were investigated. After intragastric administration for 10 days separately, both CrvpPS and CrvpPS-nano-Se showed significant stimulatory functions to thymus gland of mice. Moreover, the CrvpPS-nano-Se induced the percentage of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, NK cells and the CD4+/CD8+ value to increase significantly (P<0.05) when analyzed by flow cytometry, which is better than the CrvpPS, sucrose-nano-Se, and even the positive drug levamisole.