[Immunological regulation and treatment of Brucea javanica and Fructus Psoraleae on rats with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia].
OBJECTIVE
To study the immunological regulation and treatment of Brucea javanica and Fructus Psoraleae, traditional Chinese medicine, on rats with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP).


METHODS
Rats were injected subcutaneously by dexamethasone. When the rats got Pc infected, they were divided into two groups: rats in one group were treated with the mixture of Brucea javanica and Fructus Psoraleae and another group was used as infected control. Control with normal rats was also established. Observations were made on the number of cysts in lungs and the changes of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and TNF-alpha in the serum to demonstrate the immunological regulation and killing effect of the medicine on cysts in the infected rats.


RESULTS
The body weight of the rats treated with Brucea javanica and Fructus Psoraleae increased considerably than that of immunosuppressed rats and the normal control. The damaged lung got improved and repaired, and a significant cyst reduction was shown in the treated group. The CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and level of TNF-alpha in serum also increased in the treated group significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
The mixture of Brucea javanica and fructus psoraleae plays an immunological regulation on rats with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and shows certain killing effect on the cysts.
Qin
Yuan-hua
YH
Department of Parasitology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China.
Cui
Yu
Y
Ren
Yi-xin
YX
Zhang
Xiao-lin
XL
Wang
Yan
Y
Zheng
Xiao-yu
XY
Chen
Xu-wei
XW
Sun
Min
M
D000818:Animals; D032269:Brucea / Q000737:chemistry; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008517:Phytotherapy; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000187:drug effects*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D029907:Psoralea / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha