Mechanism of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe in treating cervical syndrome in rats with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency

Abstract

To explore the mechanism of Yiqi Huayu Bushen Recipe (YHBR), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in treating cervical syndrome (CS) with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency in rats. A total of 30 three-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, untreated group and YHBR group; there were ten rats in each group. The rat model of cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency was established by combining disease and syndrome models. After one-month YHBR treatment in YHBR group, all rats were sacrificed. Serum, plasma and cervical intervertebral discs were detected and observed by radio-immunology, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, etc. Compared with those in the normal control group, rats in the untreated group showed obvious signs of deficiency in vital energy, such as tiredness, ptosis, few movement, bluish-purple tongue and tail and weight loss; the weight of uterus and appendages, and the ratio of cyclic adenosine monophosphate/cyclic guanosine monophosphate were decreased; hemorheological parameters and the expression of alpha-granular membrane protein (CD62p) were increased; the content of serum estradiol was decreased. YHBR could improve the above indexes except for the weight of uterus and appendages. HE staining showed annulus fibrosus with cracks, diminish of pulposus nucleus, and decrease in the height of intervertebral disc and the thickness of end-plate in the untreated group; and YHBR could improve the changes of cervical intervertebral discs, but no obvious changes in end-plate. Type II collagen protein (Col2a1)was distributed in every part of the annulus fibrosus in normal control group, but was decreased in untreated group; YHBR could increase Col2a1 expression in annulus fibrosus as compared with the untreated group. The expressions of Col2a1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) mRNAs were decreased in untreated group as compared with the normal control group (P<0.01); the expressions of Col2a1 and TIMP-1 mRNAs were higher and matrix metalloproteinase-13 mRNA was lower in the YHBR group than those in the untreated group (P<0.05, P<0.01). YHBR may improve the condition of cervical syndrome with qi deficiency, blood stasis and kidney deficiency by regulating immune system, coagulation system and endocrine system, and delay the degeneration of cervical intervertebral disc by regulating extracellular matrix and metalloproteases in intervertebral disc.