Influence of Huangqibaoxin Decoction on the Heart Function and Neuroendocrine Cytokines in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients with Heart Failure

OBJECTIVE To observe the influence of Huangqibaoxin decoction on the heart function and neuroendocrine cytokines in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients with heart failure. METHODS According to random number method， 96 DCM patients with heart failure were randomly divided into the treatment group (50 cases) and the control group (46 cases). Both groups were given standard western treatment， and the treatment was also treated with Huangqibaoxin decoction， 2 times/day， 100Ml/time. Both groups were treated for three months continuously. The clinical symptoms， body signs， cardiac function classification were observed and the clinical effects were evaluated of both groups at 2-week， 3-month respectively of the treatment. The N-terminal-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP)， plasma renin activity (PRA)， AngiotensinⅡ (AngⅡ)， aldosterone (ALD) and endothelin (ET) levels of patients in both groups were detected before and three months after the treatment. Before and three months after the treatment， the 6-minute walk test was performed， and the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD)， left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were examined by ultrasonography. RESULTS Total rate of clinical efficacy in the treatment group was 82.0%， 94.0% respectively， and those of the control group was 73.9%， 80.4% respectively at 2-week and 3-month， the treatment group was significantly better than the control group (P<0.05). At 3-month of the treatment， levels of LVEDD and LVESD were decreased and LVEF increased in both groups， and the treatment group significantly improved than the control group (P<0.05). The 6-minute walk test results were both improved in both groups， and the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05). NT-pro BNP， PRA， AngⅡ， ALD and ET of patients in both groups were decreased at 3-month of the treatment (P<0.05)， the treatment group was better than the control group(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combination of Huangqibaoxin decoction and western medicine can improve the heart function of DCM patients with heart failure. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the overactivation of RASS system， the protection of endothelial function and the inhibition of ventricular remodeling.