[Effects of xuefu zhuyu decoction on functions of vascular endothelium in patients with unstable angina pectoris].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD) on functions of vascular endothelium in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). METHODS: Fifty patients with UAP were randomly divided into two groups XFZYD-treated group with 32 cases and control group with 18 cases. The patients in the control group were given regular therapy, while the patients in the XFZYD-treated group were given XFZYD additionally on the basis of regular therapy. All patients in both groups were treated for 8 weeks. Then the contents of serum endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO), soluble vascular cell adhesive molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were examined by radioimmunoassay, enzymic method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively. RESULTS: The total response rate in the XFZYD-treated group was 93.75%, which was significantly higher than 66.67% in the control group (P<0.05). The contents of serum ET, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 in the XFZYD-treated group were much lower than those in the control group (P<0.01), while the content of serum NO was obviously higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: XFZYD can improve the functions of vascular endothelium by lowering the levels of endothelium-derived contracting substances, enhancing the levels of endothelium-derived relaxing substances, and reducing the cell adhesions, and hence to raise the therapeutic effects on UAP.