Objective

2

To explore the effect of oral administration of

Yupingfeng Powder

（玉屏风散） and

Qiji Formula

（芪寄方） on the protective efficacy of the split virus influenza vaccine.

Methods

2

Forty Balb/c mice were randomly divided into blank group， immune control group， aluminum adjuvant group，

Yupingfeng Powder

group and

Qiji Formula

group， with eight mice in each group.

Yupingfeng Powder

group and

Qiji Formula

group were given 0.25 g/10 g of corresponding formulas by gavage， while the other groups were given 0.25 ml purified water by gavage， once every day for 10 days. After 4-day medication， mice in the blank group were injected intramuscularly with 0.1 ml of PBS on the legs， while those in other groups were injected with 0.75 μg of seasonal influenza virus split vaccine （IVV） for initial immunization， and additionally 100 μg of aluminum hydroxide was contained in IVV in the aluminum adjuvant group. Two weeks after the initial immunization， the mice in all groups were continued for a booster injection. The mice were weighed every 7 days to observe the general condition. ELISA method was used to detect the level of serum specific antibody IgG 7， 14， 21 and 28 days after the initial immunization， and 28 days after the initial immunization， the level of serum specific antibody subtype IgG

1

and IgG

2a

was tested， the spleen was weighed to calculate the spleen index. The proportion of memory B cells in the spleen was detected by flow cytometry.

Results

2

There was no significant differences in the body weight of the mice among the groups regarding the same measurement time （

P

＞0.05）. The body weight significantly decreased after 14-day medication in the

Qiji Formula

group

compared to that measured before and after 7-day medication （

P

＜0.05）. Compared to those measured after 14-day medication， the body weight after 28-day medication significantly increased in the

Yupingfeng Powder

group

and

Qiji Formula

group （

P

＜0.05）. The hair of the mice in all groups was soft and smooth， with normal general activities and no obvious abnormality in the excrement. Compared to that in the blank group and the immune control group， the spleen index and the proportion of memory B cells in the

Qiji Formula

group significantly increased （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01）. Compared to those in the blank gorup， the levels of serum IgG

1

and IgG

2a

in all other groups as well as Ig G levels at all measured times significantly increased （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01）. Compared to those in the immune control group， the IgG level significantly increased in the

Yupingfeng Powder

group 21 and 28 days after initial immunization， and in the

Qiji Formula

group 28 days after initial immunization （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01）. The IgG level in the

Yupingfeng Powder

group 21 days after the initial immunization was significantly higher than that in the aluminum adjuvant group （

P

＜0.05）. Compared to those in the immune control group， the IgG

1

level in the

Yupingfeng Powder

group and

Qiji Formula

group， and the IgG

2a

level in the aluminum adjuvant group significantly increased （

P

＜0.05 or

P

＜0.01）. The IgG

1

level in compared with aluminum adjuvant group， Yupingfeng powder The level of IgG

1

in the

Yupingfeng Powder

group and

Qiji Formula

group were significantly higher than that in the aluminum adjuvant group （

P

＜0.05）. There was no significant difference in IgG

1

and IgG

2a

levels between

Yupingfeng Powder

group and

Qiji Formula

group and IgG levels measured at different timepoints （

P

＞0.05）.

Conclusion

2

Yupingfeng Powder

and

Qiji Formula

can effectively improve the immune response of split virus influenza vaccine， promote Th2 immune response， and mainly improve the body's humoral immune response.