Effects of raw rhubarb on plasma D-lactate and procalcitonin expressions in patients with sepsis / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of raw rhubarb (RR) on levels of plasma D-lactate and procalcitonin in patients with sepsis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty patients with sepsis enrolled were randomly divided into two groups, the RR group (n=18, treated with RR 9 g/d) and the control group (n=22, treated with conventional treatment). Plasma procalcitonin and D-lactate were determined before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the levels of plasma procalcitonin and D-lactate between the two groups (procalcitonin 6.50 +/- 2.37 microg/L vs 6.98 +/- 2.89 microg/L; D-lactate 0.18 +/- 0.05 mmol/L vs 0.19 +/- 0.06 mmol/L, P > 0.05). However, after treatment, two indexes in the RR group were significantly lower than those in the control group (procalcitonin 4.11 +/- 1.40 microg/L vs 2.21 +/- 0.61 microg/L; D-lactate 0.24 +/- 0.06 ng/L vs 0.09 +/- 0.03 ng/L, both P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RR could ameliorate the intestinal permeability and reduce the shifting of intestinal bacteria, so as to ease the condition of disease in patients with sepsis.</p>