OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Lupus Recipe (LR) on IL-6 and IL-10 secretion of splenic cells in vitro in lupoid model mice and on anti-dsDNA antibody.

METHODSChronic graft-versus-host disease model was used in the experiment. The model mice were divided into four groups, the model group was un-treated and the other three groups treated with LR, prednisone and combined treatment (prednisone + LR) respectively. The serum level of ds-DNA antibody, the ConA induced splenic cell proliferation in mice's splenic cell culture as well as the IL-6, IL-10 level in the supernatant of culture were determined after treatment and compared with those of normal controls.

RESULTS(1) The splenic cell proliferative reaction in the model group splenic cells was obviously higher than that of the normal control (P < 0.05); but that in the three treated groups was different from the control insignificantly (P > 0.05); (2) The serum anti-dsDNA in the model group was higher than that in the normal control, 1.75 +/- 0.25 vs 1.20 +/- 0.21 (P < 0.01), while the difference in comparison of the treated groups with the normal control was insignificant, (P > 0.05); (3) Splenic cell IL-6 and IL-10 secretion in the model group induced by ConA was higher than those in the treated groups and the controls significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLR reveals the effect of immunosuppressor, which could inhibit the activation of T- and B-cells, reduce the Th2 cytokine formation and auto-antibody production so as to treat lupus erythematosus effectively.