Objective: To study the effect of treatment with Xuebijing injection on pro- or anti-inflammatory response and pathologic changes in immune organs in rats with sepsis.
Methods: Sepsis was reproduced in rats by cecal ligation and puncture. Rats were divided into four groups i.e. sham operation, sepsis, sepsis with levofloxacin treatment, and Xuebijing treatment groups. Blood samples were collected at 3, 24 and 72 hours after model was reproduced. Enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), expression level of spleen Th1/Th2 was assessed by FACS flow cytometer, and the pathological changes in immunological organs were examined.
Results: The results showed that the levels of Th1/Th2 and TNF-alpha, IL-10 were elevated in early period of sepsis, but lowered in late period of sepsis. Xuebijing could decrease the level of Th1/Th2, which showed an increase at 72 hours. Xuebijing could lower the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-10, rendering a balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory response.
Conclusion: There is a dissonance in immunological function in sepsis, showing a depression in specific immunological function, but an exaggeration in non-specific immunological function. Xuebijing can obviously ameliorate the immunological disturbance in sepsis of rat.