Effect of astraglus injection on serum apoptosis relevant factors in patients with chronic heart failure / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Astragalus injection (AGI) on serum apoptosis related factors such as soluble Fas (sFas), soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-four patients with CHF of NYHA II-IV grade were randomly divided into two groups, the treated group (42 patients) treated with AGI and the control group (42 patients) treated with routine treatment. The level of serum sFas, sFasL, and TNF-alpha were measured with ELISA before and after treatment. At the same time, patients' heart function were graded according to the NYHA classification and their indices of left ventricular function were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients' NYHA grade was improved in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and it was better in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, in the treated group, the left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) decreased, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased, which was significantly different than that before treatment (P < 0.05) respectively; level of serum apoptosis related factors sFas, sFas L and TNF-alpha were significantly decreased after treatment, showing significant difference as compared with those before treatment or with those in the control group after treatment (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). While all indices had no obvious change in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AGI may be regarded as an effective remedy for treatment of CHF owing to its effects in decreasing the level of serum apoptosis related factors in patients with CHF.</p>