Effect of Huashi Runzao Prescription on Structure and Function of Submandibular Gland in Sjögren's Syndrome Model Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Huashi Runzao prescription （HRP） on the histopathological injury and function of submandibular gland in naive non-obese diabetic （NOD/Ltj） mouse model of Sjögren's syndrome （SS） and its regulatory effect on aquaporin 5 （AQP5） expression in submandibular gland cells. MethodThe SS model was induced in NOD/Ltj mice. The NOD/Ltj female mice aged nine weeks were selected and randomly assigned into model group，HRP group （7.15 g·kg-1·d-1），and hydroxychloroquine （HCQ） group （1.30 g·kg-1·d-1）， and female BALB/c mice in the same age were selected and assigned into the normal group， with six mice in each group. Drug intervention lasted eight weeks. The water consumption and salivary flow rate （SFR） of each group were recorded. The pathological staining results of the submandibular gland of mice in each group were observed and scored. AQP5 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry （IHC） and Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased water consumption （P<0.05） and reduced SFR （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the HRP group showed decreased water consumption （P<0.05） and increased SFR （P<0.05）， and the HCQ group showed increased SFR （P<0.05）. In terms of histopathological results of the submandibular gland，compared with the normal group，the model group showed increased pathological score， number of lymphocyte infiltration foci，and percentage of lymphatic infiltration area （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the HRP group showed reduced pathological scores and number of lymphocyte infiltration foci （P<0.05）， and the HRP group and the HCQ group showed reduced percentage of lymphatic infiltration area（P<0.05）. The results of IHC and Western blot showed that compared with the normal group，the model group showed down-regulated expression level of AQP5 protein （P<0.05）， and compared with the model group and the HCQ group，the HRP group showed up-regulated expression level of AQP5 protein （P<0.05）. ConclusionHRP can improve the secretion function of submandibular gland acinous cells and glandular structure injury in SS model mice， and its mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of AQP5 protein expression level in submandibular gland cells.