Title:Yiqi Jiedu Xiaoying Decoction Improves Experimental Autoimmune
Thyroiditis in Rats by Regulating Th17/Treg Cell Balance
Volume: 24
Issue: 10
Author(s): Hui Zhu, Shumin Mu*, Shiyin Liu, Yang Cui, Jianyu Ren, Enquan Yang, Lining Wang, Xiaoke Cui and Ailing Ren
Affiliation:
- Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated
Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250011, China
Keywords:
Yiqi Jiedu Xiaoying Decoction, experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), cytokines, immunomodulatory effects, transcriptional factor.
Abstract:
Background: Experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) is a widely used animal
model to study the pathogenesis and treatment of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Yiqi Jiedu
Xiaoying Decoction (YJXD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula with potential immunomodulatory
effects. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of YJXD on EAT in
rats and explored its underlying mechanisms.
Methods: Female Wistar rats were induced to develop EAT by immunization with thyroglobulin
(Tg) and taken sodium iodide water (0.05%) and then treated with YJXD or sodium selenite.
HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of thyroid tissue in EAT rats. Th17 and
Treg cell frequencies were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression levels of Th17- and
Treg-related cytokines and thyroid autoantibody were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA). The expression of Th17- and Treg-related transcriptional factors was detected
by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Results: Our results demonstrated that treatment with YJXD significantly attenuated the severity
of EAT, as evidenced by reduced thyroid gland inflammatory infiltration and decreased serum thyroglobulin
autoantibody levels. Importantly, YJXD treatment effectively modulated the Th17/Treg
cell balance by suppressing Th17 cell differentiation and promoting Treg cell expansion. Moreover,
YJXD was also found to regulate the expression levels of Th17- and Treg-related cytokines
and transcriptional factors, further supporting its immunomodulatory effects in EAT.
Conclusion: YJXD exerted therapeutic effects on EAT by regulating the Th17/Treg cell balance,
modulating the production of Th17- and Treg-related cytokines and the expression of
transcriptional factors.