Gubenzhike Recipe Ameliorates Respiratory Mucosal Immunity in Mice with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease through Upregulation of the γδT Lymphocytes and KGF Levels

Figure 2

Three months after cigarette smoke and LPS challenge, lung pathology was determined by H&E staining (A: blank control group, B: model group, C: high-dose Gubenzhike recipe group, D: medium-dose Gubenzhike recipe group, and E: low-dose Gubenzhike recipe group). The marks i, ii, and iii stand for magnification of 40, 200, and 400, respectively, and their scale bars are equal to 200 μm, 50 μm, and 20 μm. HE staining showed that the bronchial and alveolar structures of the blank control group were normal and clear, with orderly cilia, uniform alveolar size, and complete airway epithelium (Figure 2(a)). In the model group, the bronchial mucosal epithelium folds, exfoliated, and protruded into the lumen, which narrowed and occluded the bronchi. The alveolar wall collapsed, the alveolar cavity was irregularly enlarged, and part of the alveoli fused into lung bullae. The airway wall and pulmonary mesenchyme were infiltrated with chronic inflammatory cells (Figure 2(b)). These were consistent with the pathology of COPD. Gubenzhike recipe significantly increased the structural completion of the bronchi, alveoli, and airway mucosa epithelium. The arrangement of cilia was more regular and alveolar size was evener. Gubenzhike recipe also decreased the stenosis degree of airway, the number of lung bullae, and the number of inflammatory cell infiltrated around the airway and pulmonary mesenchyme (Figures 2(c)–2(e)).