To study the effects of total alkaloid of Tongbiling prescription(TBL) on Th1 type cytokine expression in T cells in order to elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of TBL.
The lymphocytes were isolated from mouse mesenteric lymph nodes and cultured in-vitro. Various concentrations of TBL were added to the culture followed by phorbol ester and inomycin treatment and then incubated for another 4 hours. The expressions of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in the lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry.
200 mg/L and 100 mg/L TBL could obviously inhibit IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha expressions in T lymphocytes.
Inhibiting Th1 cytokine expression may be one mechanism by which TBL can treat rheumatoid arthritis.