Effects of Qidantang Granule on early stage of diabetic kidney disease in rats.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), is one of the most common vascular diseases caused by diabetes, eventually progressing into glomerular sclerosis. Qidantang Granule is a traditional Chinese medicine that is commonly used for DKD. However, there is still no experimental evidence for its effectiveness on DKD. 8-week-old Sprague Dawley male rats were fed on high-fat and high-sugar diet for 4 weeks, and then intraperitoneally injected with 35 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. Diabetic rats were randomly divided into three groups, and orally administrated with vehicle, 50 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg Qidantang Granule respectively, once daily for 9 weeks. Qidantang Granule effectively reduced food and water intake, body weight and fasting blood glucose, decreased inflammation and oxidative stress, ameliorated renal injury through suppressing PI3K signaling pathway in STZ-induced DKD rats. Our results provide experimental evidence to demonstrate the pharmacological mechanism of Qidantang Granule in the treatment of DKD.

Clinical efficacy of Yingliu mixture combined with metimazole for treating diffuse goitre with hyperthyroidism and its impact on related cytokines.

CONTEXT: Yingliu mixture was developed in 1990s by Affiliated Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, for treating diffuse goitre with hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease, GD). Former studies have shown Yingliu mixture combined with methimazole (Y-M) can effectively improve thyroid function and decrease thyrotropin-receptor antibody level. Furthermore, we researched its impact on related cytokines to prove that Y-M improve patients' immunity status. OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Y-M for treating GD. METHODS: A total of 120 GD patients were randomly divided into two groups, the treatment and the control groups (n = 60). The treatment group's patients were treated with Y-M. The control group's patients were treated with methimazole alone. Yingliu mixture was orally administered, 25 mL three times daily. Methimazole was administered at 5-25 mg/day. After 12 weeks of the treatment, the cytokines, antibodies related to thyroid function, and Chinese medical syndromes were evaluated. RESULTS: After the treatment, the free triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels in both groups decreased. The thyroid-stimulating hormone level increased in the treatment group. The thyrotropin-receptor antibody levels and TNF-α levels decreased in both groups. In the control group, IL-6 and IFN-γ levels were lower than that before the treatment. In the treatment group, CD4+ and CD25+ levels were higher than pretreatment levels, but IL-10 levels were reduced. CLINICAL SYMPTOMS: the total CMS scores for both groups decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The Y-M combination can improve thyroid function, and decrease autoantibodies, cytokines, and clinical symptoms, so its efficacy may surpass that of methimazole alone.

Clinical efficacy of Yingliu treatment for Graves disease.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) mixture Yingliu combined with methimazole medication for the treatment of Graves disease (GD). METHOD: In a randomized, paralleled control study, 92 GD patients were randomized into a Yingliu mixture treatment and a control treatment group, both receiving methimazole. Both treatments lasted for 12 weeks and outcome parameter were thyroid function, thyroid autoantibodies, TCM symptome scores and safety indicators. RESULTS: The clinical efficiency of the Yingliu mixture-methimazole combination was 92.5% vs. 82.5% (P < 0.05) of the solely methimazole medication group. After 12 weeks treatments the Yingliu mixture in combination with methimazole improved free triiodothyronine (FT3), free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor antibody (TRAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) values significantly more than methimazole alone and TCM symptome scores were significant lower after 12 week treatment in the Yingliu mixture- methimazole group (P < 0.05). The thyroid enlargement (21 vs. 10, P < 0.05), fatigue (39 vs. 30, P < 0.01) and dry mouth symptoms (37 vs. 29, P < 0.05) were superior improved in the Yingliu than in the control medication group, respectively. There was no significant difference regarding safety evaluations between both treatment groups (P = 0.499). CONCLUSION: Yingliu mixture as combined medication with methimazole can significantly improve the outcome of a solely methimazole application for GD treatments.