[Effects of pathogenic wind-dampness on lung tissue cytokines in rats with syndrome due to pathogenic cold invading lung].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects of wind and dampness pathogens on cytokines in the lung tissue of rats with cold syndrome due to different gradient cold pathogens.


METHODS
One hundred and four Wistar rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into 13 groups: normal temperature group, six cold pathogen groups and six cold plus wind-dampness pathogen (wind of grade 5 and 90%-100% relative humidity) groups. The cold pathogens were constant low temperature (including 10 degrees C, 0 degree C, -10 degrees C) and temperature change (including 20 to 10 degrees C, 20 to 0 degrees C, and 20 to -10 degrees C). The rats in different groups were kept in a temperature-controlled box under the corresponding condition for 2 hours on the first day of experiment. Then, the rats were all raised in normal temperature for 4 days and the rats' behaviors were observed. The contents of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in lung homogenate were measured by radioimmunoassay and the content of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
In comparison with cold pathogen groups, contents of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-4 were obviously increased in lung homogenate of rats in cold plus wind-dampness pathogen groups (P<0.01), and the content of IFN-gamma and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio were obviously decreased (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Wind-dampness pathogen can seriously aggravate the injury to lung tissue caused by cold pathogen, and the unbalance of Th(1)/Th(2) in lung homogenate of rats.
Zhang
Wei
W
Department of Respiratory Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong Province 250011, China. 05320835zh@sina.com
Cao
Jing-tao
JT
Liu
Hai-yu
HY
D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006813:Humidity; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D014919:Wind
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma