Influence of Yanyankang Powder on Th1/Th2 in rats with experimental autoimmune uveitis

To study the influence of Yanyankang powder on Th1/Th2 in rats with experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU).

The EAU models were induced in Lewis rats by immunization with interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) 1177-1191 in complete Freund's adjuvant. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a model control group, a Yanyankang group, and a prednisone group, 9 rats in each group. The model control group was intervened with saline solution by gavage. The Yanyankang group was intervened with Yanyankang powder 4 g/(kg day) by gavage. The prednisone group were intervened with prednisone acetate tablets 5 mg/(kg d) by gavage. All groups were intervened after immunization once every 2 days for 18 days and monitored by slit-lamp biomicroscopy daily until day 18. The levels of gamma interferon (INF-γ) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the supernatants of T cells were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology was used for measuring Th1 and Th2 related cytokine mRNA expressions.

Slighter intraocular inflammation was found in the Yanyankang group and the prednisone group than the control group. The levels of the IFN-γ and IL-10 in the supernatants of the spleen lymph node cells were 382.33±6.30, 155.87±4.46 μg/L in the Yanyankang group and 270.93±7.76, 265.32±11.88 μg/L in the prednisone group. Both had significant differences compared with the control group (941.53±8.59, 20.67±4.65 μg/L; =0.01). The PCR results showed the same tendency.

Yanyankang powder showed favorable effects in the rats with EAU by influencing the function of Th1 and Th2 cells.