[Experimental research on the effects of Chinese herb drugs on immune dysfunction in severely scalded rats].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the modulation effect of a concoction of Chinese herb drugs on immune dysfunction in severely burned rats.


METHODS
One hundred healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into A group (n = 30, with Chinese herb drug feeding after burns), B group (n = 30, with bouillon feeding after burns), C group (n = 30, with ordinary feeding after burns), and D group (n = 10, with sham burns as normal controls). The rats in A, B and C groups were subjected to 30% TBSA full-thickness burns and received conventional treatment. The rats in A group received 2 ml of Chinese herbal drug at 37 degrees C by gavage two times a day beginning from 2 postburn-hours(PBH). The rats in B group received 2 ml bouillon by gavage instead, and otherwise treatment was the same as A group, while the rats in C group were not fed by gavage. The activity of natural killer cell and T lymphocyte, and the levels of IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, C4 in A, B, C groups were examined on 3, 7, 14 PBD, and these indices were also determined in D group.


RESULTS
Compared with D group, the amount of the CD3+, CD4+ lymphocyte, the ratio of the CD4+/CD8+, the level of IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, C4, the activity of NK cells, and the density of the sIgA in A, B, C groups were obviously decreased, but the amount of the CD8+ were obviously increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Furthermore, the above indices in A group improved more quickly when compared with B and C groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The concoction of Chinese herb drugs can improve the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets, increase the activity of NK cells, promote the secretion of sIgA in intestinal mucous membrane and promote recovery of IgM, IgG, C3, C4 levels, thereby improves the immune function of the body.
Zhan
Jian-Hua
JH
Department of Burns, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China.
Yan
Ji
J
Tao
Wei-Bin
WB
You
Hao-Yuan
HY
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M