[Clinical and experimental research of Epimedium brevicornum in relieving neuroendocrino-immunological effect inhibited by exogenous glucocorticoid].

OBJECTIVE

To study protective effect of Epimedium brevicornum (EB) on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-thymus (HPAT) axis inhibited by exogenous glucocorticoid.

METHODS

In clinical research, variation of cortisol, adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), lymphocyte proliferative reaction were observed before and after medication in 65 patients took prednisone, and were randomly divided into Fufang prednisone group (mixture of prednisone and EB) and prednisone group. An experimental model of HPAT axis inhibited by corticosterone (CORT) was established to observe the effect of EB on relevant indices of HPAT axis.

RESULTS

The level of ACTH and CORT in plasma decreased and lymphocyte proliferative reaction reduced in patients (P < 0.05). In experimental study, monoaminic transmitters activated in hypothalamus; weight of pituitary, adrenal and thymus decreased; number of CRH positive neurons in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, CRH positive neurofibrilin median eminence and anterior pituitary ACTH positive secretory cells decreased; adrenal fasciculate zone and thymus cortex atrophies; NK cell cytotoxicity and the level of IL-2 and gamma-IFN which were produced by lymphocytes reduced in CORT-rats (P < 0.05). There were significant difference between Fufang prednisone group (clinical research) or EB group (experimental research) and CORT control groups, P < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

EB could relieve neuroendocrino-immunological effect inhibited by exogenous glucocorticoid.