title: [Effect of Astragalus injection on plasma levels of apoptosis-related factors in aged patients with chronic heart failure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Astragalus injection (AI) on plasma levels of apoptosis-related factors in aged patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two CHF patients were randomly divided into the AI group (36 cases) treated with AI and the control group (36 cases) treated with conventional treatment. Plasma levels of soluble Fas (sFas), soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with monoclonal anti-human antibodies. Besides, New York Heart Association (NYHA) grading was assessed according to improved symptoms and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were assessed by echocardiogram after 4 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 4 weeks of treatment, NYHA grading was markedly improved in the two groups, but it was significantly better in AI group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). As compared with the control group, sFas, sFasL, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the AI group were obviously lower, the difference between the two groups and between before and after treatment were significant (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Moreover, in AI group, LVESV and LVEDV decreased, LVEF increased, which was significantly different than that before treatment (P < 0.05), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AI could lower plasma levels of apoptosis-related factors, and is one of the effective drugs in improving cardiac function in the aged patients with CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College, Shandong 272029, China. 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
authors.forename: Guang-he
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Dong-sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiao-li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guang-yao
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D027883:Astragalus Plant; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000097:blood; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D028321:Plant Preparations; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors; D019014:fas Receptor