Effect of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment on Immune Factors in a Rat Model with Phlegm-heat Syndrome in Acute Exacerbation-stable Stage of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

BackgroundSecretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) deficiency and immune imbalance caused by T lymphocyte aggregation in lung tissue are associated with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Human gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts have a typical mucosal structure, which are connected with the common mucosal immune system.ObjectiveTo examine the responses of some immune factors to integrated Chinese and Western Medicine treatment in a rat model with phlegm-heat syndrome during the acute exacerbation to stable stage of COPD.MethodsA study was implemented between September 2019 and December 2020. Sixty SPF Sprague-Dawley rats were selected, and divided into five groups using the RAND function in Excel: control, COPD, acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) , Western Medicine, and integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. Except the control group, other groups were exposed to cigarette smoke and heat, and received intranasal administration of lipopolysaccharide to develop COPD in acute exacerbation to stable stage with phlegm-heat syndrome. The intervention in the acute exacerbation stage lasted for 8 days, during which Western Medicine group received intragastric administration of solution containing moxifloxacin hydrochloride tablets (0.027 g·kg-1·d-1) and salbutamol sulfate tablets (0.41 mg·kg-1·d-1) , integrated Chinese and Western Medicine group received intragastric administration of solution containing Tongsai granules (7.2 g·kg-1·d-1) , moxifloxacin hydrochloride tablets (0.027 g·kg-1·d-1) , and salbutamol sulfate tablets (0.41 mg·kg-1·d-1) , the other three groups received intragastric administration of isotonic (0.9%) sodium chloride 2 ml per day. Subsequently, the intervention in the stable period lasted for 14 days, during which western medicine group received intragastric administration of salbutamol sulfate tablets 0.41 mg·kg-1·d-1, and the integrated Chinese and Western Medicine group received intragastric administration of BufeiYishen formula 4.42 g·kg-1·d-1 and salbutamol sulfate tablets 0.41 mg·kg-1·d-1. The other three groups received intragastric administration of isotonic (0.9%) sodium chloride 2 ml per day. The forced vital capacity (FVC) , forced expiratory volume during the first 300 milliseconds (FEV0.3) , FEV0.3/FVC ratio, and sIgA, as well as CD3+ and CD4+, in the lung and gut were detected after the interventions.ResultsThe FVC, FEV0.3, FEV0.3/FVC ratio, sIgA in the lung and gut, as well as expression level of CD3+ in the lung, showed a trend of successive decrease across control group, COPD group, and AECOPD group (P<0.05) . The above-mentioned parameters were lower in AECOPD group than those of Western Medicine group or integrated Chinese and Western Medicine group (P<0.05) . And they were lower in Western Medicine group than those of integrated Chinese and Western Medicine group (P<0.05) .ConclusionIntegrated Chinese and Western Medicine treatment may improve immunity of the rat model via repairing the immune barrier function of the lung and gut by increasing the expression of sIgA, CD3+, and CD4+ in the lung and gut, which provides evidence for the prevention and treatment of COPD with Chinese medicine.

Keywords

• |pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive|phlegm heat syndrome|integrated chinese traditional and western medicine therapy|immunologic factors|rats