Effects of Yangxue Qingnao Granules on chronic cerebral circulation insufficiency: a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, controlled multicentre trial.

BACKGROUND: There is a great deal of interest in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for chronic cerebral circulation insufficiency (CCCI). In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao Granules (YXQNG) as a monotherapy in patients with CCCI. METHODS: From July 2007 to May 2010, 273 patients with CCCI at nine centres in China were randomly assigned to receive either YXQNG with nimodipine placebo (n= 140, 12 g/day) or nimodipine with YXQNG placebo (n= 133, 30 mg/day) for 8 weeks. The primary end points after 8 weeks of treatment were changes from baseline in severity of headache, heavy-headed feeling, dizziness and sleep disorder. RESULTS: The mean baseline levels of headache, heavy-headed feeling, dizziness and sleep disorder were comparable between the two groups. Both therapies significantly improved these symptoms after 8 weeks of treatment (P < 0.001). Compared with nimodipine therapy, YXQNG resulted in similar reductions in these symptoms. No adverse effects were observed in the YXQNG group. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that YXQNG as a monotherapy were as effective as nimodipine monotherapy in improving the symptoms of CCCI. It is well-tolerated and may have an important place in the management of this condition. Whether a combination of these two medicines will increase therapeutic efficacy deserves further clinical investigation.

Benzo[a]pyrene induces oxidative stress and endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction via the activation of the NF-κB pathway.

Smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, a prominent component of tobacco smoke) on the function and pro-inflammatory response of human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). EPCs were isolated from umbilical cord blood and treated with different concentrations (10, 20 and 50 µmol/l) of BaP. The proliferation, migration, adhesion and angiogenesis of BaP-treated EPCs were evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell assay, adhesion assay and in vitro tube formation assay, respectively. The activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was evaluated by measuring the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 and p50 by real-time RT-PCR and NF-κB translocation assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined by the reduction of fluorescent 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). The results demonstrated that BaP treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, adhesion and angiogenesis of EPCs in vitro. In addition, BaP induced the release of interleukin (IL)-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α from these cells. Moreover, the exposure of EPCs to BaP induced ROS generation and the activation of NF-κB. Experiments with EPCs pre-treated with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, an inhibitor of NF-κB, revealed that the BaP-mediated inhibition of proliferation, migration, adhesion and angiogenesis of EPCs is mainly regulated by NF-κB. Thus, tobacco smoke may induce oxidant-mediated stress responses in EPCs and impair their function via the activation of the NF-κB pathway.