Effects of Spleen-warming and Kidney-tonifying Therapy on TLR4 Signaling Pathway of Cerebral Infarction Sequelae Patients / 广州中医药大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effect of spleen-warming and kidney-tonifying therapy on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway of cerebral infarction sequelae patients. Methods A total of 60 cerebral infarction sequelae patients with spleen and kidney(yang) deficiency were divided into control group and treatment group, 30 cases in each group. The two groups were given function rehabilitation training following by the theory of modern rehabilitation medicine, and additionally the treatment group was treated with spleen-warming and kidney-tonifying herbs orally. The treatment period for the two groups averaged 3 months. Before and after treatment, the scores of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms and signs, peripheral blood TLR4 mRNA expression level, and the inflammation-related factors in the two groups were observed, and the observation parameters were compared with 30 healthy volunteers. Meanwhile, the changes of modern rehabilitation evaluation indexes were also evaluated before and after treatment. Results (1) After treatment, the Fugl-Meyer scores for motor function and Modified Barthel Index(MBI) scores for activities of daily living in the treatment group were obviously increased(P 0.05). (2) After treatment, the predominant symptoms and signs of hemiplegia, facial distortion and dysphasia in the two groups were much improved(P 0.05 compared with those before treatment); the treatment group had obvious effect on the above symptoms and signs, and the effect was superior to that in the control group(P 0.05), and TNF-α level in the control group was decreased but did not arrive to the normal level(P < 0.05); levels of interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6 and TLR4 mRNA in the two groups were decreased but did not arrive to the normal(P < 0.01), and the decrease in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). (4) During the treatment period, no obvious adverse effect was found in the two groups. Conclusion Oral use of spleen -warming and kidney –tonifying Chinese medicine combined with modern rehabilitation therapy is effective for the treatment of the sequelae of cerebral infarction patients by relieving the clinical TCM symptoms, and one of the therapeutic mechanisms is probably related with the TLR4 signaling pathway through regulating the expression of inflammatory factors.