title: [Effect of astraglus injection on serum apoptosis relevant factors in patients with chronic heart failure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Astragalus injection (AGI) on serum apoptosis related factors such as soluble Fas (sFas), soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four patients with CHF of NYHA II-IV grade were randomly divided into two groups, the treated group (42 patients) treated with AGI and the control group (42 patients) treated with routine treatment. The level of serum sFas, sFasL, and TNF-alpha were measured with ELISA before and after treatment. At the same time, patients' heart function were graded according to the NYHA classification and their indices of left ventricular function were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' NYHA grade was improved in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and it was better in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, in the treated group, the left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) decreased, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased, which was significantly different than that before treatment (P < 0.05) respectively; level of serum apoptosis related factors sFas, sFas L and TNF-alpha were significantly decreased after treatment, showing significant difference as compared with those before treatment or with those in the control group after treatment (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). While all indices had no obvious change in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGI may be regarded as an effective remedy for treatment of CHF owing to its effects in decreasing the level of serum apoptosis related factors in patients with CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Affiliated to Jining Medical College, Shandong. jgzhang@183.ha.cn
authors.forename: Jin-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019014:fas Receptor