Effects of rhubarb on the expression of glucocorticoids receptor and regulation of cellular immunity in burn-induced septic rats

Abstract

Background: It is important to modulate the expression of glucocorticoids receptor (GR) in tress and maintain the immunity homeostasis in sepsis process. Rhubarb have been shown to have potential effects on anti-inflammatory and immune modulation. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of rhubarb on the expression of GR and cellular immunity in burn-induced septic rats. Methods: Sixty-six healthy male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into sepsis group ( n = 24), rhubarb group ( n = 24), and control group ( n = 18); each group were further randomized into 12, 24, and 72 h subgroups according to different time points. During onset of the sepsis model, the rats in the rhubarb group were infused with 50 mg/kg rhubarb powder dissolved into 1 mL saline through gastric tube, while sepsis and control groups were treated with saline. The binding activity of GR in liver cytosol and binding capacity of GR in peripheral blood leucocyte were analyzed by radiation ligands binding assay. The percentages of CD4 + ,CD8 + ,CD4 + CD25 + T cells, CD19 + B cells as well as natural killer (NK) cells in the lymphocytes in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometer. For assessing the differences among groups, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Scheffe multi-comparison techniques were employed. Comparisons between time-based measurements within each group were performed with ANOVA repeated measurement. Results: The binding activity of GR in liver cytosol and binding capacity of GR in peripheral blood leucocyte were significantly decreased in a time-dependent manner in sepsis group ( t = 23.045, P < 0.01; t = 24.395, P < 0.05, respectively), which were increased in a time-dependent manner after rhubarb administration ( t = 19.965, P < 0.05; t = 17.140, P < 0.05, respectively). Twelve hours after sepsis, the percentages of CD4 + T cells, CD4 + /CD25 + T cell ratio, and CD19 + B cells in the peripheral blood were significantly increased in the sepsis group ( t = −3.395, P < 0.01; t = 2.568, P < 0.05; t = 2.993, P < 0.05, vs. control mice, respectively). However, the percentage of NK cells in the peripheral blood were significantly decreased in the sepsis group ( t ...

Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Activity of Herb Extracts Used in Burn Wound Healing: “San Huang Powder”

“…e main difference between CA and TA groups was the presence of Rhubarb. ese results were in line with a previous report and suggested that Rhubarb may play a vital role in burn wound healing [4].…”

“…Rhubarb, Scutellaria root, Phellodendron bark, and Coptidis rhizome are the four most frequently used materials to prepare "San Huang Powder." Moreover, Rhubarb's efficacy in treating burn wounds was recently reported [4,5]. However, there is no systematic study comparing the efficacy of different "San Huang Powder" recipes for the treatment of burn wounds to date.…”

Regulatory T Cells: Angels or Demons in the Pathophysiology of Sepsis?

“…Septic mice had significantly improved 7-day survival and reduced acute organ injury, which is associated with stimulated IL-10+ Foxp3+ Tregs, inhibited Th17 differentiation, and decreased Th17/Tregs (104). Some TCM, such as rhubarb, have a bidirectional regulatory effect on the heterogeneity of Tregs over time and improve the prognosis of sepsis by increasing the proportion of Tregs in the early stage and decreasing it in the late stage, although the specific molecular mechanism of their effect is not clear (100). Although these results are contradictory, they do imply that Foxp3+ Tregs play an important role in amending early, late, and even long-term immune disturbances after sepsis.…”

“…Due to their relatively stable genetic uniformity, inbred BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice are most frequently used in sepsisrelated studies (47,59,65,70,83,86,98,118,177). Nevertheless, researchers are beginning to emphasize the importance of using genetically heterogeneous organisms in experiments since they can better simulate the heterozygosity of humans, especially in multi-dimensional heterogeneous syndromes such as sepsis (19,23,67,85,100,135,136). BALB/c (inbred) and CD-1 (outbred) mice underwent unilateral femoral fracture, splenectomy, and hemorrhagic shock, with increased circulating granulocytes (LY6G+CD11+) in both strains at 24 and 48 hours later.…”

Network Pharmacology Experiments Show That Emodin Can Exert a Protective Effect on MCAO Rats by Regulating Hif-1α/VEGF-A Signaling

“…ex Balf. Rheum palmatum L. is a valuable medicinal plant widely distributed in the alpine and desert regions of Asia and Europe. It has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antipyretic, antitumor, and other biological activities. , According to Chinese medicine textbooks published by the Ministry of Education of China, most ischemic stroke types can be classified as heat syndromes, such as a decrease in qi and blood and an increase in wind and fire. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicines that reduce excess heat and purify fire are often used to treat ischemic stroke, such as R.…”