Zhongguo quanke yixue (Oct 2022)
Protective Effect of Bufei Jianpi Formula on Mucosal Barrier in a Rat Model with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Abstract
Background Themucosal structure of the respiratory tract is similar to that of the gastrointestinal tract in humans, which is the body's first line of defense against the invasion of pathogens through the function of mucosal barrier. When the respiratory tract infection stimulates the airway mucosa to produce a local immune response, it affects the intestinal tract through migration and homing, resulting in the weakening of the local mucosal anti-infection ability, inducing mucosal barrier damage, and further aggravating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Objective To explore the effects of Bufei Jianpi Formula on the expression levels of inflammatory factors in lung tissue, and the content of lung-gut related peptides in lung and colon tissues in a rat model of stable COPD based on a typical viscera theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, namely "the lungs and large intestines are interior-exteriorly related" . Methods This experiment was carried out from September 2019 to December 2020. Fifty SPF SD rats were selected, and equally and randomly divided into control, model, Bufei Jianpi, aminophylline and probiotics groups. Except for the control group, the rats in other groups received cigarette smoke exposure combined with intranasal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the first eight weeks of intervention for establishing a COPD model. From the ninth week of intervention, rats in the control and model groups received intragastric administration of 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and those in Bufei Jianpi, aminophylline and probiotics groups received intragastric administration of Bufei Jianpi Formula, aminophylline and probiotics, respectively. The rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks of intervention. The pathological changes of lung and colon tissues were observed under an optical microscope, the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in lung tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry. The contents of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) , substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in lung and colon tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . Results In terms of morphology, the lung and colon tissue structures of rats in the control group were basically intact. In the model group, the trachea was narrowed and surrounded by a lot of inflammatory cells with thickened bronchial wall. The improvement in histopathology of the lung tissues was the most obvious in Bufei Jianpi group. The colon tissue of rats in the model group was damaged, which was manifested by numerous shed epithelial cells, and crypts in different shapes and sizes. Bufei Jianpi group demonstrated better improvement in histopathology of the colon tissue. There were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-10, SP and VIP in the lung tissue of the five groups of rats (FTNF-α=70.640, FIL-10=8.444, FSP=108.700, FVIP=4.665, P<0.05) . The expression level of SIgA in BALF differed significantly across five groups of rats (F=26.370, P<0.05) . The expression levels of SP and VIP in colon tissue also varied significantly across five groups of rats (FSP=136.600, FVIP=13.980, P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the expression levels of TNF-α and SP in the lung tissue and those of SP and VIP in the colon tissue of the model group were increased (P<0.05) ; the expression levels of IL-10 and VIP in the lung tissue, and expression level of SIgA in the BALF of the model group were decreased (P<0.05) . Compared with the model group, the expression levels of TNF-α and SP in the lung tissue and those of SP and VIP in the colon tissue of the Bufei Jianpi group were decreased (P<0.05) ; the expression levels of IL-10 and VIP in the lung tissue, and expression level of SIgA in the BALF of the Bufei Jianpi group were increased (P<0.05) . Conclusion Compared with the model group, the improvement in the lung-gut related peptides indices in three treatment groups was better, and the improvement was the best in the Bufei Jianpi group. Bufei Jianpi Formula could improve symptoms of lung inflammation and pathological damage of lung and intestine tissues. The mechanism may be related to the involvement in regulating the content of SIgA, SP and VIP, and enhancing local mucosal immunity and barrier function.
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