Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of a decoction made from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Wumei pill,on regulatory T cells and interleukin-10(IL-10) in a rat model of ulcerative colitis induced by2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS).METHODS:Rat ulcerative colitis was induced with TNBS.All modeled rats were randomly divided into six groups:normal control group;model group;sulfasalazine suppositories treatment group;and high,moderate,and low dosage of Jiaweiwumei decoction groups(12 rats each).Colon injury index was evaluated after 14 days.After peripheral blood lymphocyte separation,CD4 + T cells and CD4+/CD25+ T cell percentage was detected by flow cytometry.The content of IL-10 in serum and intestinal mucosa tissue was detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Colon injury indices in the decoction groups were effectively reduced,compared with the model group(P < 0.05).Compared with that of the control group,the CD4+/CD25+ to CD4+ T lymphocyte ratio of the model group was significantly lower,while the decoction treatment improved the CD4 +/CD25 + to CD4 + T lymphocyte ratio(P < 0.05) than that in the control group,while the decoction group had significantly higher serum and intestinal mucosal IL-10 content than that in the model group(P < 0.05).The regulatory T cell content was negatively correlated with the colonic injury index(r = 0.68,P < 0.05),and positively correlated with the content of serum IL-10(r = 0.87,P < 0.05) and intestinal mucosal IL-10(r= 0.79,P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Jiaweiwumei decoction had significant effects on regulatory T cells and IL-10 in rats with TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis.

Key words: Colitis,ulcerative, T-lymphocytes,regulatory, Interleukin-10, Jiaweiwumei decoction