[Observation on intestinal flora in patients of irritable bowel syndrome after treatment of Chinese integrative medicine].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the clinical efficacy of the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the result of intestinal flora regulation.


METHODS
Sixty IBS patients, 36 males and 24 females, were divided into two groups, with 30 patients in each group. Herbal formula of TongxieYaofang and clostridium butyricum (Cb) were used in the first group for four weeks, while only Cb was used for four weeks in the second group. We observed the changes of coliform group, enterococcus, lactobacillus, bifidobacterium after treatment.


RESULTS
The effective rate of the Tongxie Yaofang and Cb treated group was significantly higher than that of the Cb treated group (P < 0.05). The numbers of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus increased, while the numbers of coliform group and enterococcus decreased after the treatment, and the changes of intestinal flora in the integrative medicine treated group were significantly greater than those in the Cb treated group.


CONCLUSIONS
After treatment with the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, the intestinal flora can be regulated to equilibrium state.
Sun
Xu
X
Department of Gastroenterology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China. sxzyys@yahoo.com
Cai
Gan
G
Wang
Wen-Jian
WJ
D000328:Adult; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000187:drug effects; D046972:Clostridium butyricum / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal