ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Yiqi Wenyang Huoxue Lishui principle (YWHL, a therapeutic principle with Chinese medicine for reinforcing Qi warming Yang, activating blood circulation and promoting urination) on some neuroendocrine factors in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-nine patients of CHF with heart function of grade III-IV were randomly divided into 2 groups. The 29 cases in the treated group were treated with YWHL and the 20 cases in the control group treated with captopril. Changes of angiotensin II (AT II), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO) and alpha-granule membrance protein -140 (GMP-140) were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, plasma level of AT II, ANP, ET, and NO lowered in both groups with insignificant difference, but the GMP-140 reduced more significantly in the treated group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>YWHL showed a regulatory effect of neuroendicrine system partially similar to that of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, it possibly can improve the ventricular remodeling and would be beneficial to prevent the thrombus formation and improve heart failure by means of inhibiting platelet activity.</p>