Objective

2

To compare and evaluate three experimental animal models of

qi

deficiency syndrome prepared by cyclophosphamide， food restriction plus exhaustive swimming， and cyclophosphamide plus food restriction plus exhaustive swimming， and to determine the optimal modeling method.

Methods

2

The Institute of Cancer Research （ICR） mice were divided into normal control group， cyclophosphamide model group， food restriction plus exhaustive swimming model group， food restriction plus exhaustive swimming plus cyclophosphamide model group， with 10 mice in each group， half-female and half-male. The modelling time was 15 days. Cyclophosphamide was intraperitoneally injected into the mice on the 1st， 2nd， 3rd， and 10th days of modelling （50 mg/kg）. The mice in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction model group performed exhaustive swimming every day for 15 days， and the food intake was restricted into 150 g/（kg·d）. The mice in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction plus cyclophosphamide model group performed exhaustive swimming， restricted food intake， and intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide as mentioned above. The general condition of the mice was observed every day， and the body weight was measured on the 7th and 14th day of modelling. The exhaustive swimming time， splenic index， thymus index， liver glycogen content， plasma urea nitrogen， plasma immunoglobulin IgG and IgA content， as well as peripheral blood T lymphocytes （CD3

+

） and their subsets （CD4

+

， CD8

+

）， and B lymphocyte （CD19

+

） content were detected and compared between groups after 15-day modelling.

Results

2

The body weight， exhaustive swimming time， organ index， peripheral blood CD19

+

content， plasma IgG and IgA content of mice in cyclophosphamide group significantly decreased， while plasma urea nitrogen content significantly increased compared tho those of mice in the normal control group （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01）. The body weight， organ index， peripheral blood CD3

+

， CD4

+

， CD19

+

and liver glycogen of mice in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction group decreased （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01）， and also the body weight， exhaustive swimming time， organ index， peripheral blood CD3

+

， CD4

+

， CD8

+

， CD19

+

， liver glycogen content， plasma immunoglobulin IgG and IgA content in exhaustive swimming plus food restriction plus cyclophosphamide group significantly decreased （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01） compared to those in the normal control group. Compared to those in the cyclophosphamide group， the body weight， thymus index， peripheral blood CD4

+

， CD19

+

content， and liver glycogen content in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction group and the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction plus cyclophosphamide group were significantly reduced， while the IgG content in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction group significantly increased （

P

＜0.05）. Compared to those in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction group， the splenic index in the cyclophosphamide group significantly decreased， while splenic index， CD19

+

content， and plasma immunoglobulin IgG in the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction plus cyclophosphamide group were significantly reduced （

P

＜0.05）.

Conclusion

2

The three models could all simulate the clinical manifestations of

qi

deficiency syndrome from the aspects of immunity， energy and metabolism， and the exhaustive swimming plus food restriction plus cyclophosphamide modeling method is more in line with the mental fatigue symptom of

qi

deficiency syndrome.