Xu Wenping, Lin Zongming, Yang Chunxin, Zhang Yongkang, Wang Guomin, Xu Xunhui, Lv Qianzhou, Ren Yushen, Dong Ying
Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032 Shanghai, China.
Int Immunopharmacol. 2009 Jul;9(7-8):996-1001. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2009.04.007. Epub 2009 Apr 19.
In this study, we examined the immunosuppressive activity of demethylzeylasteral (T-96), isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. Its immunosuppressive effect was investigated using mouse splenocytes in vitro, and in an in vivo rat kidney transplant model. T-96 inhibited mouse splenocyte proliferation in a dose dependent manner. In the rat kidney transplant study, rats were randomly divided into eight groups following kidney transplantation, and different doses of T-96 or cyclosporin A (CsA) were administered to each group. T-96 alone at doses of 10 or 20 mg/kg/day significantly prolonged the survival of kidney-transplanted rats, compared with transplanted but untreated control rats. A combination of T-96 and prednisone also significantly prolonged survival: 10 mg/kg/day T-96 with 10 mg/kg/day prednisone increased the survival time to 31.8+/-6.5 days. Moreover, the combination of T-96 and prednisone was also effective in suppressing rejection of rat transplanted kidneys. These results demonstrate the strong immunosuppressive activity of T-96 and suggest a possible clinical use for T-96 as an immunosuppressive agent in the fields of organ transplantation and autoimmune disorders.
