OBJECTIVE

2

To investigate the effects of total glucosides of paeony （TGP） on enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity of

Tripterygium wilfordii

polyglycoside （TWP） in the treatment of eczema.

METHODS

2

Totally 50 SD male rats were collected to establish eczema model by sensitizing with 2，4-dinitrofluorobenzene-acetone olive oil solution （volume ratio was 4∶1） on the abdominal area and provoking on the back and ear. Model rats were randomly divided into model group， loratadine group （0.9 mg/kg）， TWP group （9.45 mg/kg）， TGP group （162 mg/kg） and compatibility group （TWP 9.45 mg/kg+TGP 162 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Other 10 rats were collected to set as normal group. Three days after the first sensitization， administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， and normal group and model group were given constant volume of 0.1% CMC-Na solution intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 21 d. Twenty-four hours later after the final administration， the general condition of rats in each group was observed， and the eczema area and severity index （EASI） were scored； ear swelling degree of rats was measured， and the skin histomorphology observation and pathological score were performed； protein expressions of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， phosphorylated p38 MAPK （p-p38 MAPK） and phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK in rat skin tissue were detected； the levels of inflammatory indexes （interleukin-4， interferon-γ）， liver and kidney function indexes [glutamic-pyruvic transaminase （GPT）， glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase （GOT）， serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）] and oxidant stress indexes [total superoxide dismutase （T-SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA）] were measured.

RESULTS

2

Compared with normal group， EASI score， ear swelling degree， pathological score， protein expressions of p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK， phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK， the levels of inflammatory indexes and BUN were all increased significantly in model group （

P

＜0.05）. Compared with model group， EASI scores， ear swelling degree， pathological scores， protein expressions of p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK， phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and levels of inflammatory indexes were all improved significantly in administration groups （

P

＜0.05）. The levels of GPT， GOT， SCr and BUN were increased significantly in TWP group， while the serum levels of GOT and SCr in TGP group and serum level of SCr in loratadine group were all decreased significantly （

P

＜0.05）. The levels of T-SOD in liver and kidney tissue were all decreased significantly in TWP group and compatibility group， while the levels of MDA were increased significantly （

P

＜0.05）. The compatibility group showed more obvious effect in improving the ear swelling degree， pathological score， p38 MAPK expression and its phosphorylation level and levels of inflammatory indexes， and could reverse the abnormality of liver and kidney indexes caused by TWP （

P

＜0.05）.

CONCLUSIONS

2

The combination of TGP and TWP has the effects of anti-inflammatory， synergistic and hepatorenal detoxification in eczema model rats. Its mechanism may be associated with down-regulating the expression of serum proinflammatory indexes and inhibiting the activation of p38 MAPK pathway.