OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic mechanism of rhubarb in protecting the intestinal muco-membranous barrier in the mice.

METHODBal b/c mice were divided into 2 groups, gavaged with normal saline and 10% rhubarb decoction, respectively. The animals were killed after 24 hours after the treatments. The intestinal juice was collected after intestinal lavage and centrifuged for determination of IgA, total protein, C3, high density lipoprotein, type II PLA2 activity, and content of lysozyme. At the same time, 40 mg of small intestine were incised in each mouse. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and gel image analysis were performed to detect the content of the cryptdin gene expression.

RESULTThe content of IgA, total protein, the C3, lysozyme, and the type II PLA2 activity in intestinal lavaged juice exhibited the statistical differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference in the ontents of HDL, cryptdin-1 and cryptdin-4 gene expression between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRhubarb could increase secretion of several immune associated substances of the mucous membrane in normal intestine, indicating a possibility to abate the injury of intestine mucus resulted from severe stress induced by trauma, burn and shock. Through above mechanisms Rhubarb may also reduce the incidence of bacterial translocation and systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome (SIRS).