Abstract: Objective To compare the anti-proliferative action of the compound T₀ extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii, a traditional Chinese herb, and known effective drug cyclosporin A(CyA) on human T lymphocytes(T cells),keratinocytes and HeLa cells. Methods Human PBMC, keratinocytes and HeLa cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium and serum free keratinocyte medium, respectively. ³H-TdR incorporation was employed to assay the effects of these drugs on DNA synthesis of the cells. Results Both T₀ and CyA were capable of inhibiting ConA-induced proliferation of T cells.To inhibited the growth of keratinocytes and HeLa cells in vitro, but CyA did not. Conclusion Both T₀ and CyA inhibit the proliferation of T cells, but their action on epithelial cells is quite different.

Key words: Psoriasis, CD4-positive T-lymphocytes, Keratinocytes, Triptolide, Cyclosporine