[Effect of jingui shenqi pill on morphology of injured spinal cell apoptosis in rats caused by brachytherapy].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of Jingui Shenqi Pill (JSP) on morphology of spinal cell apoptosis in rats injured by 192Ir irradiation.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty rats were randomly divided into four groups: the model group, the JSP group, the prednisone group and the normal group. Corresponding pharmaceutics were given to rats once a day for 14 days respectively. Then except rats in the normal group, the others received 192Ir interstitial irradiation with the dosage of 22 Gy using back-fixing technology. The injured segments of spinal cord were taken out for HE staining, TUNEL examination and observation with electron microscope 8 hrs, 24 hrs and 4 weeks after irradiation.


RESULTS
HE staining examination showed no obvious histological change in rats 8 and 24 hrs after irradiation, but pathological changes, as tissue rarefaction and hemorrhage did found in white matter of spinal cord shown by TUNEL 4 weeks later. Electron microscopic examination and TUNEL staining showed that as compared with the model group, the apoptotic index in the JSP and predinisone treated groups was significantly lower (P < 0.01) 8 hrs after radiation, but it showed insignificant difference between groups at the time points of 24 hrs and 4 weeks after radiation (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
JSP could act against apoptosis of gliocyte in spinal cord of rats in early stage after brachytherapy, indicating that JSP possessing a prednisone-like action.
Xiao
Lu-wei
LW
University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou. xlw@zjtcm.net
Shen
Jin-wen
JW
Wu
Cheng-liang
CL
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; C510025:jingui shenqi