Immune regulation of Angelica and its polysaccharide on the cryptosporidium-infected immunosuppressed mice

Objective To investigate the immune regulation of Angelica decoction and Angelica polysaccharide on the immunosuppressed mice infected with cryptosporidium. Methods Model mice were established by oral inoculation of 1 ×106 cryptosporidium oocysts immediuafely after being fed with betamethasone acetate for 8 days. Then the model mice were orally treated with Angelica decoction and its polysaccharide for 10 days. Cryptosporidium oocysts in faeces were daily counted. Intestinal histopathological changes, T cell subsets, and levels of serum IL-2, IL-4,and IFN-γ were detected, meanwhile normal control, model control and western medicine control were set. Results Compared with model group, decreased excluded oocysts (At the fourth day, they are 300, 50, 238, 230) , less intestinal histopathological changes, higher immunological CD4+ T cells (Model group, western medicine group, Angelica decoction group and its polysaccharide group are 38.85 8.16, 47.98 11.90, 55.85 6. 63, 51.43 8.42 respectively. ), CD4+/CD8+(1.98 0.47, 2.25 0.53, 2.51 0.55, 2.42 0.23 respectively) and IL-2 [(28.75 1.93) pg/ml, (69.02 10.47) pg/ml, (42.91 4.48) pg/ml, (40.90 0.79) pg/ml respectively], IL-4 [(42. 00 6. 79) pg/ml, (64.26 6.07) pg/ml, (58.31 9.13) pg/ml, (54.95 8.99) pg/ml respectively] and IFN-γ [(28.73 8.71) pg/ml, (45.40 6. 11) pg/ml, (84.40 7.63) pg/ml, (78.40 6.32) pg/ml respectively] levels were found in the mice of western medicine group, Angelica decoction group and its polysaccharide group (Value F arel3.58, 19.37, 24.22, 54.36 and 35.74. Value P are all smaller than 0.05). Conclusion Angelica decoction and its polysaccharide can promote the mice infected with cryptosporidium to resume by enhancing the immune function. Key words: Angelica;  Angelica polysaccharide;  Cryptosporidium;  Immune regulation