Objective: To study the effect of supplemented Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS) and its disassembled prescriptions on function of lymphocyte in aged rats.
Methods: Rats aged 18 months were administered with decoction of DSS and its disassembled prescriptions separately in groups for 3 weeks to prepare drug containing serum. Samples of ConA induced rats splenic lymphocytes proliferation was treated respectively with prepared drug serum, for testing their effect on lymphocyte proliferation using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method, and isoprel (ISO) and propranolol were taken as the controls.
Results: The A value of lymphocyte proliferation in the drug serum treated groups was significantly different from that in the control groups (P < 0.01), which could be reduced markedly after treatment with ISO, but could restore to the level before ISO treatment by adding drug serum or propranolol.
Conclusion: DSS and/or its disassembled prescriptions could raise the lymphocyte proliferation in aged rats significantly, it also shows antagonizing effect against the inhibition of ISO on lymphocyte proliferation.