[Effect of fengshining capsule on reactive oxygen species-mediated T cell activation and apoptosis of synovium].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels on T cell activation and apoptosis of synovial cells in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) rats, and to explore the mechanism of Fengshining Capsule (FSN) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Sixty rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the CIA model group, the Tripterygium Poly-glycoside Tablet (TPT) group, the low dose FSN group (at the daily dose of 0.33 g/kg), the middle dose FSN group (at the daily dose of 0.66 g/kg), and the high dose FSN group (at the daily dose of 1.32 g/kg), 10 in each group. T lymphocyte subsets were detected by flow cytometry. The content of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in plasma of rats were detected by ELISA. Its expression of hydroxyl radicals was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein expressions were measured by Western blot.


RESULTS
Compared with the CIA model group, the levels of ROS were elevated in each dose FSN group (P < 0.01). The level of CD4+ / CD8 was significantly reduced in the middle dose FSN group (P < 0.01). The content of IFN-gamma was obviously lowered in each dose FSN group (P < 0.01), while that of IL-4 was obviously elevated in the high dose FSN group (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the expression of Caspase-9 and Caspase-3 significantly increased in each dose FSN group (P < 0.05). Besides, the average gray scale of Caspase-9 was significantly higher in the low and middle FSN groups than in the TPT group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The mechanism of FSN for regulating the immune hyperfunction and inhibiting the proliferation of synovial cells in CIA rats might be associated with up-regulating in vivo ROS levels.
Department of Postgraduate, Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan (430065), China.
Yan-Miao
YM
Ma
Department of Prescription, Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan (030024), China.
Yan-yan
YY
Li
Department of Prescription, Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan (030024), China.
Yong-hui
YH
Wang
Department of Prescription, Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan (030024), China.
Run-hong
RH
Yan
Department of Prescription, Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan (030024), China.
Wen-chao
WC
Chen
Department of Prescription, Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan (030024), China.
Ran
R
Zhou
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; C506435:Casp9 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9