The Miaoyao Fanggan Sachets regulate humoral immunity and cellular immunity in mice
-
Quan Zhang
,
Mingchang Jin
Abstract
Background: Although some studies in the southeast part of Guizhou Province have suggested that Miaoyao Fanggan Sachets (MFS) prevent influenza, little is known about its influence on immune systems. Influenza virus mainly infects immune-compromised individuals. The effects of MFS have mainly been recognized in clinical practice. However, there have been relatively few studies on its biological mechanism. Here we investigated whether MFS was able to affect the mucosal immunization and the activation of alveolar macrophages (AM), CD4+and CD8+ T-cells in vivo.
Methods: Eighty Kunming male mice were treated with MFS continuously or intermittently with Yu-Ping-Feng powder (YPF-P) (positive control group) or with normal saline (NS) (control group) for 4 weeks, respectively. Mice treated with MFS were further divided into the continuous inhalation group (12 h daily/4 weeks) and the discontinuous inhalation group (1 h, three times a day for 4 weeks). Mice in both groups were placed under 0.5 m3 masks which had four ventilation holes (10×15 cm) containing 40 g MFS. Positive control mice were orally treated with YPF-P 0.2 mg/10 g/day once a day for 4 weeks. Control mice were orally treated with equal volumes of NS once a day for 4 weeks. MFS was replaced every 6 days. Administration of YPF-P was used as a positive control since it has been used as an established Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment before. After 4 weeks, mice in all experimental groups were sacrificed. IgA and IgG1 in lung and blood serum were detected by Western blot and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of alveolar macrophages (AM) in mice was analyzed by immunochemistry test based on CD68+staining. Blood samples were collected in which CD4+and CD8+T-cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.
Results: Mice continuously and intermittently inhaling MFS showed a moderate increase in IgA and IgG1 protein levels compared with mice in the control groups. There was also a slightly significant increase in the number of AM in the continuous inhalation group compared with mice in the control groups (p<0.05). Furthermore, compared with controls, there was also a slightly significant increase in the number and percentage of CD4+and CD8+T-cells in both the continuous inhalation group and the discontinuous inhalation group (p<0.05).
Conclusions: MFS was able to up-regulate the protein levels of sIgA and IgG1. Meanwhile, MFS could activate AM, CD4+and CD8+T-cells in mice. Our data have, for the first time, demonstrated that the protection against influenza by MFS is partly through activation of the innate and adaptive cell-mediated immune responses, indicating MFS as a potential new immune-modulatory agent for respiratory tract infectious disease.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the staff at the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Guiyang Medical College for their assistances.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission. QZ conceived of the study, designed the experiments, carried out all data analyses, collected and interpreted data and revised the manuscript critically. HW drafted the manuscript and participated in the in vivo study. MLC involved in conceiving of the study and designed the experiments. Other authors carried out the in vivo study.
Research funding: This study was supported by GuiYang Science and Technology Department grant 2012 projects of social development and people’s livelihood, contract numbers [2012103], and also supported by the international cooperative project of Gui Zhou Science and Technology Department, contract number [2013GZ7024].
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
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©2015 by De Gruyter
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- Review
- An emphasis on molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects and glucocorticoid resistance
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- Endothelium nitric oxide-independent vasorelaxant effects of the aqueous extract from Stephania abyssinica on the isolated rat thoracic aorta
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- The Miaoyao Fanggan Sachets regulate humoral immunity and cellular immunity in mice
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- Online Only: Congress Abstracts
- 2014 IN-CAM Research Symposium: The Next Wave of Complementary and Integrative Medicine and Health Care Research
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- An emphasis on molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects and glucocorticoid resistance
- Preclinical Studies
- Endothelium nitric oxide-independent vasorelaxant effects of the aqueous extract from Stephania abyssinica on the isolated rat thoracic aorta
- Evidence of attenuation of intestinal ischemia–reperfusion injury following pre-treatment with methanolic extracts from Chromolena odorata in rats
- Comparative effects of Orchis anatolica vs. the red Korean Panax ginseng treatments on testicular structure and function of adult male mice
- The Miaoyao Fanggan Sachets regulate humoral immunity and cellular immunity in mice
- Toxicological evaluation of the aqueous extract of Acalypha wilkesiana in Wistar albino rats
- Clinical Studies
- Tolerability of the combination of ginger (Zingiber officinalis), gentian (Gentiana lutea) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) in patients with cancer-associated anorexia
- Effect of rhubarb (Rheum emodi) in primary dysmenorrhoea: a single-blind randomized controlled trial
- Integrating traditional medical practice with primary healthcare system in Eritrea
- Factors affecting the use of complementary and alternative medicine among Japanese university students
- Short Communication
- Complementary and alternative medicine in diabetes (CALMIND) – a prospective study
- Online Only: Congress Abstracts
- 2014 IN-CAM Research Symposium: The Next Wave of Complementary and Integrative Medicine and Health Care Research
