title: [Effect and mechanisms of wenyang yiqi huoxue recipe on the apoptosis of photoreceptor cells in retinal degeneration slow mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of Wenyang Yiqi Huoxue Recipe (WYHR) on the apoptosis of photoreceptor cells in retinal degeneration slow (RDS) mice, and to investigate its molecular mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  RDS mice were randomly divided into the model group and the Chinese medicine group,and C57BL/6J mice were selected as the normal control group. Each group consisted of 4 female mice and 2 male mice. Mice in the Chinese medicine group were administered with WYHR (10 mg/g) by gastrogavage since mating. Baby mice drunk WYHR decoction instead of drinking water once they were born. The offspring were administrated with low dose WYHR decoction by gastrogavage from the 7th postnatal day, and the dose was increased to that for adult mice from the 21st postnatal day. Physiological saline was administrated to mice in the model group and the normal control group by gastrogavage. At 18, 28 and 48 postnatal days, electroretinogram (ERG) was used to evaluate the retina functional variation, and the apoptotic rate of photoreceptor cells was determined by TUNEL staining. HE staining was performed. The number of photoreceptor cells of the outer nuclear layer was calculated. Furthermore, effect of WYHR on Rhodopsin and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression was examined using immunochemical assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, a- and b-wave latency and amplitude, as well as the bFGF expression sharply increased in the Max-ERG of the Chinese medicine group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) at 18 postnatal days. At 28 and 48 postnatal days, a- and b-wave latency and amplitude sharply increased, photoreceptor cell layer numbers of the outer nuclear layer obviously increased, the apoptosis rate of retinal photoreceptor cells obviously decreased, expressions of Rhodopsin and bFGF in the Chinese medicine group significantly increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WYHR could effectively inhibit the apoptosis of photoreceptor cells in RDS mice, which might be attributed to up-regulating bFGF expression.
authors: Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing (100029), China.
authors: Ting-ting
authors: TT
authors: Deng
authors: Ren-hui
authors: RH
authors: Dou
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Pan
authors: You-hua
authors: YH
authors: Zhang
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Yuan
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Deng
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C033946:yiki-huoxue