title: Regulatory action of Astragalus saponins and buzhong yiqi compound on synthesis of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibody in vitro for myasthenia gravis.
abstract: With overall analysis of symptoms and signs of myasthenia gravis (MG) basing on "Pi (Spleen) Deficiency" [symbol: see text] theory and with years of our clinical experience in treating MG, we performed a pharmacological study of Astragalus saponins and Buzhong Yiqi Compound (Tonic granulae invigorating vital energy) in 14 peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) cultures from 10 MG patients. PBMNG from two groups of patients given dexamethasone (Dxm) and cobalt 60 (60Co) treatment were used as controls. The results showed that water soluble Astragalus saponins significantly reduced the titer of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies (nAchR-Ab) in the cell culture supernatants, from 418.8-2328 to nil in 6 cases, and from 1143-1235 to 43-157 fmol/ml in 2 cases, and that Buzhong Yiqi compound also had inhibitory immunoregulatory action.
authors.affiliation: Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: R Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000276:immunology*; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D012503:Saponins