[Effects of Xuebijing injection on protein C and tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA in rats with sepsis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of the integrated traditional Chinese medicine Xuebijing injection on protein C (PC) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA in rats with sepsis.


METHODS
Sepsis was induced in Wistar rats by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Ninety-six healthy animals were randomly divided into four groups: normal group, sham-operation group, CLP model group, and Xuebijing-treated group. The two latter groups were divided into 2, 8, 24, 48, and 72-hour subgroups with 8 rats in each subgroup. Platelet count of blood obtained from abdominal aorta was determined and tissue samples from liver and lungs were collected to measure tissue PC and TNF-alpha mRNA expression.


RESULTS
PC gene expression levels in lung tissues were significantly lowered (all P<0.01), but they were dramatically raised by Xuebijing injection during 8-72 hours post-CLP (all P<0.01). Compared with normal group, TNF-alpha mRNA levels in liver and lungs were significantly elevated at 2 hours post-CLP (P<0.05 or P<0.01). However, treatment with Xuebijing injection markedly reduced TNF-alpha mRNA both in liver and lungs at 2-24 hours (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In CLP group, blood platelet count was significantly decreased to certain extent at different intervals within 8-72 hours, and it was markedly elevated in the Xuebijing-treated group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The current study suggests that Xuebijing injection could exert preventing effect on the development of severe sepsis by suppressing PC and TNF-alpha mRNA.
Li
Yin-ping
YP
Tianhe Hospital, Tianjin 300050, China.
Qiao
You-jie
YJ
Wu
Zi-xia
ZX
Qian
Fang-fang
FF
Yao
Yong-ming
YM
Yu
Yan
Y
Wu
Yao
Y
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011486:Protein C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011486:Protein C; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha