[Study on the mechanism of tripterygium wilfordii ployglycosidium in preventing type 1 nonobese diabetic mice].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the immunity preventive action of Tripterygium wilfordii ployglycosidium (TWP) on type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in non-obese diabetic (NOD)mice and explore its possible mechanism.


METHODS
Changes of blood glucose, the incidence rate of T1DM and pancreatitis were observed and the expressions of IFN-gamma,TNF-alpha, IL-10mRNA in pancreas of mice detected by RT-PCR after NOD mice were given TWP by adopting cyclophosphamide accelerated induction of T1DM.


RESULTS
The mean blood glucose level in TWP group (10.73 mmol/L) was lower than that in the control group (20. 53 mmol/L) at the end of the experiment(P < 0.01 ). The incidence rate of T1DM in TWP group (43. 33% ) was lower than that in the control group (71.43% , P <0. 01). The mean grade of inflammation of pancreatic islet in TWP group (1.45 +/- 1. 11) was lower than that in the control group (2. 27 +/- 1.22, P <0. 05 ). In TWP group the number of insulin-positive cells was 242. 80 +/-168.93 ,which was more than that of control group with significant difference (95.60 +/- 39.55,P <0.05). The expressions of TNF-alpha mRNA and IFN--gamma mRNA were lower (P <0.01). No obvious change was found in IL-10 mRNA expression.


CONCLUSIONS
TWP could prevent the occurrence of T1DM in NOD mice, whose mechanism might be correlated to the down-regulating of the expression of Thl cytokines in pancreatic tissues.
Shi
Nian-wei
NW
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetic Research Laboratory, The First People' s Hospital , Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai.
Wu
Yi-jie
YJ
Wang
Yu-fei
YF
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029757:Tripterygium; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D020011:Protective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma