ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects Xuezhikang (XZK) at different doses on inflammatory factors and blood lipids of patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to discuss their safety.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty ACS in patients receiving selective PCI treatment were randomly assigned to two groups, 40 cases in the normal dose group and 40 cases in the large dose XZK group. Besides routine therapy, all patients took XZK at the daily dose of 1.2 and 0. 6 g, twice daily. They started XZK from the very day of PCI operation. The therapeutic course for all was more than 8 weeks. The levels of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were detected in the two groups 1 week, 4 and 8 weeks after operation. The levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, changes of liver and renal functions were observed. The correlation between blood lipids and inflammatory factors were analyzed. The adverse reaction was recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with before medication, the serum levels of hs-CRP and MMP-9 decreased in the two groups 1 week, 4 and 8 weeks after operation, with statistical difference shown in the levels at the 8th week (P < 0.05). The decrease was more obvious in the large dose XZK group (P < 0.05). The LDL-C level obviously decreased in the two groups 4 and 8 weeks after operation (P < 0.05). The decrease was more obvious in the large dose XZK group at the 8th week (P < 0.05). The levels of hs-CRP and MMP-9 were positively correlated with the decrease degree of LDL-C in the large dose XZK group at the 8th week (r = 0.828, 0.922, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reaction, hepatic or renal functions between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>XZK could lower the serum levels of hs-CRP, MMP-9, and LDL-C. More obvious effects were obtained in the large dose XZK group. The decrease degree of inflammatory factors was correlated with the decrease extent of blood lipids.</p>