[Effects of yougui pill on phenotype change of thymic dendritic cells induced by glucocorticoid in mice].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of glucocorticoid on phenotype of thymic dendritic cells in mice and to investigate the protective effect of Yougui Pill (YGP) on it.


METHODS
BALB/c mice allocated in the group A and B were treated respectively with 10 mg/kg hydrocortisone, alone and combined with 20.81 g/kg YGP. The control mice were treated with normal saline. The changes before and after treatment of I-A(d) and H-2K(d) antigen presentation molecules expression in CD11c(+) and CD45(+) thymic dendritic cells of mice were analyzed by flow cytometry assay, and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) mRNA in thymocytes were determined by RT-PCR as well.


RESULTS
The percentage of I-A(d+) and H-2K(d+) in CD11c(+) in Group A after treatment was 46.77 +/- 4.32% and 64.34 +/- 7.69% respectively, as compared with those in the control group (65.81 +/- 7.69% and 31.88 +/- 5.01%), the percentage of I-A(d+) was lower and that of H-2K(d+) was higher significantly (all P <0.01). Meantime, the expression of ICAM-1 and LFA-1 in thymocyte in Group A (30.11 +/- 2.51% and 30.40 +/- 3.77%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (46.35 +/- 3.34% and 47.28 +/- 2.91%) respectively (P <0.01). Changes in Group B showed that treated by hydrocortisone in combination with YGP, the above-mentioned hydrocortisone-induced changes could be obviously reversed, the outcome of CD11c(+) I-A(d+) was 54.19 +/- 5.08%, ICAM-1 33.97 +/- 2.04% and LFA-1 34.80 +/- 2.92%, the difference between the two treated groups in these indexes all showed statistical significance (P <0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Glucocorticoidcan inhibit the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II antigen molecule, but promote the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I in CD11c(+) and CD45(+) dendritic cells, down-regulate ICAM-1 and LFA-1 transcription, while the tonifying yang recipe, YGP, has a dominant protective effect against the above actions of glucocorticoid.
Zhou
Xian-Bin
XB
Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan.
Wang
Li
L
Guo
Yu-Qi
YQ
D000818:Animals; D039521:CD11c Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000633:toxicity*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010641:Phenotype; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D039521:CD11c Antigen; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006183:H-2 Antigens; C024755:H-2K(K) antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; C111389:I-Ad antigen; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D020011:Protective Agents; C502768:you-gui-wan; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D006854:Hydrocortisone