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

Figure 4

Immunohistochemical staining of αβTCR (a) and γδTCR (b) was made, respectively, on the paraffin lung sections (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 ii and iii stand for magnification of 200 and 400, respectively, and their scale bars are equal to 50 μm and 20 μm. In the blank control group, there were a few αβT cells and γδT cells in the lung tissue. As for the model group, scattering distribution of αβT cells in the alveolar tissue and hardly any γδT cells were observed. There were significantly more γδT cells around bronchi and rarefied αβT cells in the three Gubenzhike recipe groups. (c) Positive brown cells were counted in three random fields at 400x magnification in each section with immunohistochemical staining of αβTCR and γδTCR. Data are presented as mean ± SD. The ratio of αβT cell/γδT cell reduced in lung tissue of COPD model mice and increased by Gubenzhike recipe. (d) The lymphocytes in lung tissues were isolated through density gradient centrifugation method and then analysed by flow cytometry. Gate E1 identified lymphocytes among total. Percentage of αβT and γδT lymphocytes was recorded, and data are presented as mean ± SD. The percentage of γδT lymphocytes in the low-dose Gubenzhike recipe group was significantly higher than that in the model group (^&). Compared with the blank control group, the ratio of αβT/γδT lymphocytes in all other groups increased. That ratio decreased in high-dose and low-dose Gubenzhike recipe groups in contrast to that of the model group.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)