目的：研究氧化苦参碱（Oxy）对哮喘小鼠气道炎症、肺和脾脏组织中树突状细胞(DC)分布变化的影响。方法：50只小鼠随机分为哮喘组、地塞米松治疗组、Oxy 20、40、80 mg/kg组等5组，每组10只。苏木精-伊红染色观察肺组织病理形态改变，免疫组化检测肺及脾脏组织中DC表面抗原33D1的表达变化。结果：哮喘组肺组织出现明显的炎症反应，在地塞米松、Oxy干预后气道炎症反应均减轻。哮喘组肺和脾脏组织中33D1抗原阳性DC可见较多表达，在地塞米松干预后阳性表达明显降低（P<0.01），不同剂量Oxy干预后，各组肺组织的33D1阳性表达的DC均较哮喘组降低(P<0.01)，并呈剂量依赖性。在脾脏组织40 mg/kg和 80 mg/kg Oxy可显著降低33D1的表达（P<0.01）。结论：Oxy能减轻哮喘气道炎症，并可减少哮喘小鼠肺和脾脏组织DC的数量，这可能是Oxy治疗哮喘的重要机制。

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of oxymatrine (Oxy) on airway inflammation and the distribution of dendritic cells (DC) in lung and spleen tissues of asthmatic mice. METHODS: Fifty BALB/c mice were assigned into five groups (n=10): an asthma model group, a dexamethasone (Dex) treatment group and three Oxy treatment groups (Oxy dose: 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg respectively). The histological changes of lung tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of 33D1 antigen (a marker of DC) in lung and spleen tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The inflammatory reactions of the lung tissues in the Dex or Oxy treatment groups were less severe than those in the asthma model group. 33D1 antigen was remarkably expressed in the lung and spleen tissues of the asthma model group. After Dex treatment, the expression of 33D1 antigen in the lung and spleen tissues decreased significantly (P<0.01). 33D1 antigen expression in the lung tissues was significantly reduced in all of the three Oxy treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner compared with that in the asthma model group (P<0.01). The treatment with Oxy of 40 and 80 mg/kg decreased significantly the 33D1 antigen expression in the spleen tissues (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Oxy can alleviate airway inflammation and reduce the number of DC in lung and spleen tissues of asthma mice, which may be contributed to the mechanism of Oxy for treatment of asthma.