Integrated traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine treating pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in rats model

Cai Chang; Li Yuping; Ye Min; Ye Ren

doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-4777.2014.02.007

Abstract：Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of integrated Chinese medicinal formulae with sulfamethoxazole (SMZCO) injection on pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) rat model.Methods The PCP Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat models were reproduced by the dexamethasone injection method,and the models were randomly divided into follow groups:normal control group (4 rats),group B (PCP model,9 rats),SMZCO treatment group(9 rats),Chinese medicinal formulae treatment group (9 rats),combination with Chinese medicinal formulae and SMZCO treatment group(9 rats).The concentrations of interleukin (IL)-8,tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The Pneumocystis cysts were calculated by silver stain method.The pathology and ultrastructural changes were observed by light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin staining stain and electronic microscope.Results There were statistical significances of IL-8 and TNF-α concentrations in five groups.The F values were 8.97,10.23 respectively ; P values were 0.038,0.031 respectively.The IL-8 value in Chinese medicinal formulae treatment group(9 rats) was the highest (476 ±45) μg/L and the IL-8 value in group E was the lowest (302 ± 18) μg/L.There was a statistical significance of serum LDH concentration in the five groups (P =0.036).Compared with serum LDH value in Chinese medicinal formulae treatment group,the LDH value in Chinese medicinal formulae treatment group was the highest [(184 ± 56) U/L] ; the value in combination with Chinese medicinal formulae and SMZCO treatment group was the lowest [(96 ± 35) U/L].The differenceswere statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).The decrement rates among the treatment group were 85.5％,15.2％ and 90.3％ respectively,and the differences were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the pathological observation in Chinese medicinal formulae treatment group,the inflammatory cells infiltration in lung interstitium in combination with Chinese medicinal formulae and SMZCO treatment group decreased obviously.Under the electronic microscope observation of the lung tissue of PCP model rat,the alveolar epithelial cells appeared degeneration and exfoliation.The PC cyst was contacted tightly with alveolar epithelial cells.Conclusions These results suggest that Chinese medicinal formulaes may have inhibitory effects on pneumocystis and inflammatory factors,which can improve the alveolar injury.The protective effect is more powerful under the condition of Chinese medicinal formulae combined with SMZCO.