Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Zhuangjinxugu decoction has been shown to promote the healing of tibial fracture. 
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Zhuangjinxugu decoction-containing serum on proliferation of rat fibroblasts cultured in vitro.
METHODS: Rats were intragastrically administered with Zhuangjinxugu decoction to prepare drug-containing serum. Passage 2 well growing SD rat fibroblasts were harvested within 48 hours after rat birth. Rats from the control and Zhuangjinxugu decoction group were intragastrically administered with 5%, 10%, 20% normal SD rat serum and Zhuangjinxugu decoction-containing serum and then cultured for 72 hours.
RESULTS AND CONCUSION: Cellular proliferation in each group was detected by MTT and results showed that Zhuangjinxugu decoction-containing serum greatly promote the proliferation of fibroblasts, in particular 10% Zhuangjinxugu decoction-containing serum (P < 0.05). The proportion of cells at DNA synthesis (S stage) was detected by flow cytometry, and the proportion of cells at the S stage was greater in the Zhuangjinxugu decoction group than in the control group (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that Zhuangjinxugu deconction-containing serum can promote DNA synthesis in the fibroblasts, which makes more cells entering into S stage and promotes the proliferation of fibroblasts cultured in vitro.