Effect of Chinese herbal medicine immunomodulator on T lymphocyte immune function in immature rats with obstructive jaundice

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effect of Chinese herbal medicine immunomodulator on T lymphocyte immune function in peripheral blood and intestinal mucosa of immature rats with obstructive jaundice. Methods Three-weeks Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. (n= 12, in each): normal control group, sham operation group, obstructive jaundice (OJ) group, OJ + Chinese herbal medicine immunomodulator (OJ+ZY) group. Except for the normal control group, the others' bile duct stones were ligatured to establish rat models with obstructive jaundice. The percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ tlymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in peripheral blood and intestinal mucosa of immature rats was detected by flow cytometry. Results The percentage of CD4+ cell [(36.2 ±4.2)%, (28.8±1.8)% respectively] and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ [(1.14±0.39), (1.37±0.34)respectively] in OJ group were lower than those in normal control group [peripheral blood: CD4+(41.5±5.3)%,CD4+/CD8+(1.37±0.19); intestinal mucosa: CD4+(32.3± 2.4)%, CD4+/CD8+ (1.84+0.28) and sham operation group (peripheral blood: CD4+ (41.2±5.5)%, CD4+/CD8+ (1.45±0.27); intestinal mucosa: CD4+(31.5 ± 2.7)%, CD4+/CD8+ (1.63±0.58)] . The difference was statistical significant(P<0.05). The percentage of CD4+ cell [(42.7±6.3)%, (33.6±2.4)% respectively] and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ [(1.56±0.46), (1.84±0.56)respectively] in OJ+ZY group, were higher than those in OJ group(P<0.05). The difference was statistical significant(P<0.05). Conclusion Chinese herbal medicine immunomodulator can increase T lymphocyte immune function in immature rats with obstructive jaundice, but has no significance in normal control group as well as sham operation group. Key words: Chinese herbal medicine immunomodulator; Obstructive jaundice; Immature rats; Tlymphocyte immune function