Effects of Sinomenine on the rat dendritic cells after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion

Objective To study the effects of Sinomenine on the dendritic cells after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion. Methods Forty-eight BN rats were equally divided into control group, low dose (40 μg/g) and high dose (80 μg/g) of Sinomenine groups after the liver transplantation models were established by two cuff tech-nique. Three days after the orthotopic liver transplantation, the livers were resected, then the dendritic cells were separated and purified. The phenotypes [OX62, major histocompatibility complex Ⅱ (MHC-Ⅱ) and CD86] of dendritic cells were examined by FACS, the expression of IL-12, IL-1, and TNF-a mRNA by RT-PCR, and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by Western blot. Results The dendritic cells treated with Sinomenine showed immature phenotypes. The expressions of MHC-Ⅱ and CD86 were significantly deceased. The expressions of IL-12, IL-1, TNF-a mRNA and TLR4 were low. Conclusions Sinomenine can significantly inhibit the maturity and immunologic function of dendritic cells after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion. Key words: Liver transplantation;  Ischemia-reperfusion injury;  Sinomenine;  Dendritic cell