Effect of icariin on early β - defensin - 2 and T cell subsets in rats after tracheotomy

• Published in: Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Journal of Central South University. Yi xue ban Vol. 45; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Ju, Jing, Tan, Renqian, Zhong, Yong, Peng, Lingling, Pan, Yuzheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: China 28.01.2020
• Subjects: Animals; beta-Defensins; Flavonoids; Male; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Tracheotomy; icariin; β-defensin-2; T cell subset; early lung immune function; tracheotomy model
• ISSN: 1672-7347
• DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2020.180754

To investigate the effect of icariin (ICA) on early β-defensin-2 and T cell subsets in rats after tracheotomy. A total of 54 SPF male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal control group (group A), a model group (group B), and a model+ICA treatment group (group C), with 18 rats in each group. A tracheotomy intubation model of the B and C group was prepared. After 6 h of surgery, ICA intervention was given to group C. Groups A and B were given the same amount of normal saline. Lung tissue, alveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood were taken at 24 h, 72 h and 168 h, respectively. The expression of rat β-defensin-2 mRNA in lung tissue was detected by RT-PCR. The content of β-defensin-2 in alveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood serum was detected by ELISA. The content of peripheral blood T cell subsets (CD3 , CD4 , CD8 ) was detected by flow cytometry, and the ratio of CD4 /CD8 was calculated. After tracheotomy, the levels of β-defensin-2 mRNA and β-defensin-2 in lung tissue from the group B were increased significantly at 24 h, then they were decreased gradually, and decreased most significantly at 168 h ( <0.05). The content of β-defensin-2 in peripheral blood of group B decreased gradually, and the content of β-defensin-2 in 168 h was significantly lower than that in 24 h ( <0.05), but there was no significant difference between group B and group A ( >0.05). The level of CD3 T cells in peripheral blood was significantly lower than that in the group A ( <0.05), but their was no significant difference in CD4 and CD8 T cells compared with group A ( >0.05). After ICA intervention in group C: lung tissue, alveolar lavage fluid, peripheral blood serum β-defensin-2 content, and peripheral blood CD3 and CD4 T cell levels were gradually increased, significantly higher than those in the group B ( <0.05). CD8 T cell level was significantly lower than that in the group A at 24 h ( <0.05), the CD4 /CD8 ratio was significantly higher at 168 h than those in the group A or B (both <0.01). ICA can improve the early lung immune function in rats with tracheotomy, which might be related to up-regulation of β-defensin-2 in lung tissue and alveolar lavage fluid, concomitant with increases in CD3 and CD4 T cells and CD4 /CD8 ratio in peripheral blood while reduction in CD8 cells.