[Comparative study of the regulation of kidney tonic and promoting blood circulation recipe on apoptosis in T cells of old rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanism responsible for the observed reduction in T cell function of the Kidney Deficiency Syndrome.


METHODS
After 18th activation with anti-CD3 mAb, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of apoptoses in T cells were performed by using DNA gel electrophoresis, TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) and flow cytometry.


RESULTS
The percentage of apoptotic cells was 47.0% in the old and 22.2% in the young group (P < 0.01). In the Kidney tonic group, the mean percentage of apoptotic cells was 31.2%, significantly lower than that in the aged group (P < 0.05). The mean percentage of apoptotic cells in the promoting blood circulation group was 43.3% and no significant difference was seen in the percentages of apoptotoic T cells from the promoting blood circulation group compared with the old group.


CONCLUSIONS
Activation-induced excessive apoptosis of T cells is one of the mechanisms elucidating decreased T cell function of the Kidney Deficiency Syndrome and aging, the retardation of immune senescence by Kidney tonic recipe could be accounted for by down-regulation of activation-induced apoptosis in T cells.
Zheng
Z
Z
Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai (200040).
Shen
Z
Z
Huang
H
H
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal