Effect of 're du qing' on the activation, proliferation and membrane fluidity of lymphocytes.

Effects of Chinese Medicinal Preparation 'Re Du Qing' (RDQ) on the activation, proliferation and membrane fluidity of T lymphocytes from human peripheral blood were studied by means of 3H-TdR incorporation and DPH fluorescence polarization. The results showed that 'RDQ' can: 1) significantly inhibit the activation of T lymphocytes; 2) restrain the proliferation of activated T lymphoblasts in the presence of exogenous interleukin-2 (IL-2); and 3) increase the membrane fluidity of T lymphocytes and antagonize the decreased fluidity of lymphocyte membrane mediated by Con A or PHA. The functional abnormalities of T lymphocytes in some autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and the usefulness of RDQ in the treatment of these diseases were also discussed.