title: Effect of Xuebijing injection on systemic lupus erythematosus in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of Xuebijing injection on dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes, and the potential mechanisms of its therapeutic effect on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  A widely used mouse model, SLE-prone BLLF1 mice aged 8-10 weeks, was employed. Mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: a normal group, a model group and two treatment groups treated with Xuebijing Injection with a dose of 6.4 mL/kg via intraperitoneal administration for SLE-prone BLLF1 mice aged 8 weeks (treatment A group) and 10 weeks (treatment B group). Renal tissue sections were stained with Masson's trichrome and periodic acid-silver methenamine. Histopathological changes in the kidney were evaluated by a light microscopy. The capacity of the DCs isolated from the spleen to stimulate the T cell proliferation in response to concanavalin A (Con A) was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies in the two treatment groups decreased remarkablly (P<0.01, P<0.05), and levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen increased (P<0.01, P<0.05). Pathological changes were found in the kidney in the model group. Histopathological abnormalities were alleviated in the two treatment groups. Treatment with Xuebijing injection also significantly upregulated the expression of CD80, CD86 and major histocompatibility class II by DCs compared with the model group (P<0.05). When splenic T lymphocytes from BLLF1 mice were co-cultured with DCs at ratios of 1:100, 1:150 and 1:200 for 3 and 5 days, the proliferation of T lymphocytes was suppressed compared with the normal group (P<0.05), but this was restored by Xuebijing Injection under the same conditions. In the model group, levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in supernatants were significantly elevated compared with the normal group (P<0.01), interleukin-2 levels decreased (P<0.05), while these changes were significantly alleviated in the Xuebijing treatment groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xuebijing Injection alleviated renal injury in SLE-prone BLLF-1 mice. The mechanism might be through influencing T cell polarization mediated by DCs, and Xuebijing Injection might be a potential drug that suppresses immune dysfunction in patients with SLE.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors: Yan-bo
authors: YB
authors: Wang
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Yong-ming
authors: YM
authors: Yao
authors: Zhi-yong
authors: ZY
authors: Sheng
authors: Yu-feng
authors: YF
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007267:Injections; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C549376:Xuebijing; D003208:Concanavalin A
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