Effect of Shenfu Injection (ginesenoside and aconite alkaloid) on the apoptosis of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells and its mechanism during ischemia-reperfusion in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of Shenfu Injection (SF, ginesenoside and aconite alkaloid) on the apoptosis of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells during ischemia-reperfusion in rats and its potential mechanisms.


METHODS
Ischemia-reperfusion model was established in rats. Twenty-four rats were divided into 3 groups with 8 rats in each, eg, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) group, SF-treated group, and control group. In both SF and I/R groups, the superior mesenteric artery was closed with forceps for 1 hour and then reperfused for 2 hours. Either SF (3 ml/kg, SF group) or normal saline (I/R and control groups) was injected intravenously and continuously for 5 ml/kg with a micropump before the superior mesenteric artery was closed. The superior mesenteric artery was not closed for animals in control group. The expression of casapse-3 and Fas, and the level of TNF-alpha and pathological changes of the ileal mucosal tissue were assayed.


RESULTS
(1) The number of apoptosis cells increased obviously in I/R group and was significantly higher than that in SF and control groups (P<0.05). (2) The expression of caspase-3, Fas, and TNF-alpha was significantly higher in I/R group than SF and control groups (P<0.01); however, there was not significant difference in the expression of capase-3 between control group and SF group. There was a positive correlation between the expression of caspase-3, Fas, and TNF-alpha, and the number of apoptosis cells. (3) Under light microscope, intestinal mucosal impairment was found milder in SF group than I/R group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
SF can depress the apoptosis of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells during ischemia-reperfusion by restraining the expression of TNF-alpha, Fas, caspase-3, and accordingly alleviate the ischemia and reperfusion injury of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells.
Xia
Zhong-Yuan
ZY
Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
Meng
Qing-Tao
QT
Zhang
Fan
F
Chen
Xiang-Dong
XD
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C492793:Shen-Fu; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019014:fas Receptor; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases