Effects of Shen-Fu Injection （参附注射液） on Apoptosis of Regulatory T Lymphocytes in Spleen during Post-Resuscitation Immune Dysfunction in A Porcine Model of Cardiac Arrest

Objective： To investigate whether Shen-Fu Injection（参附注射液, SFI） reduces post-resuscitation immune dysfunction in a porcine model of cardiac arrest by modulating apoptosis of regulatory T lymphocytes（Treg） in the spleen. Methods： After 8-min untreated ventricular fibrillation and 2-min basic life support, 24 pigs were divided into 3 groups with a random number table, i.e. SFI group, epinephrine（EP） group, and saline（SA） group（8 in each group）, which received central venous injection of SFI（1.0 m L/kg）, EP（0.02 mg/kg） and SA, respectively. The same procedure without CA initiation was achieved in the sham-operated（sham） group（n=6）. After successful return of spontaneous circulation（ROSC）, apoptosis rate of splenic Treg was detected by flow cytometry; and the m RNA expression of forkhead/winged helix transcription factor（Foxp3） of splenic Treg was detected by real time-polymerase chain reaction; and the levels of interleukin-4（IL-4） and interferon-γ（IFN-γ） in porcine splenic Treg were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Results： Compared with the sham group, the apoptosis rate of Treg was significantly decreased, and the levels of Foxp3 m RNA expression, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IFN-γ/IL-4 were increased in the SA group（P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Compared with the EP and SA groups, SFI treatment increased the apoptosis rate of Treg and reduced the levels of Foxp3 m RNA expression, IFN-γ and IFN-γ/IL-4（P〈0.05）. Conclusions： SFI has significant effects in attenuating post-resuscitation immune dysfunction by modulating apoptosis of Treg in the spleen.