Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2000 Nov; 20(11): 815-7.

[Effect of different injections of Chinese herbal medicine on stress hormones and immune cell factors in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with acute cerebral infarction]

Chen J, Ma Y, Liang H.

Affiliated Zhuhai TCM Hospital, Guangzhou University of TCM, Guangdong (519015).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and clinical significance of different injections of Chinese herbal medicine on stress hormones and immune cell factors in treating patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with acute cerebral infarction. METHODS: Patients were divided into three groups, treated with Defibrase injection (DI, n = 32), Acanthopanax injection (AI, n = 20) and Ginaton injection (GI, n = 12) respectively. Parameters, including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocoticortropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol (CS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined using RIA in patients before and after treatment. The changes of parameters were analyzed and compared with those of healthy subjects for control. RESULTS: (1) Levels of all the above-mentioned parameters in all the three treated groups were higher than those in the healthy control group (P < 0.01); (2) All parameters were reduced after treatment in the three treated groups and the optimal effect was shown in the DI group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The beneficial action of the three injections is closely related with the levels of stress hormones and immune cell factors, therefore, to monitor dynamically the changes of CRH, ACTH, CS, TNF alpha and IL-6 is of important significance in evaluation of therapeutic effect and elucidation of the pharmacology of Chinese herbal medicine.