title: Effects of crude rhubarb on intestinal permeability in septic patients.
abstract: The therapeutic effect of crude rhubarb on intestinal permeability was investigated in septic patients. Forty septic patients were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into two groups: the crude rhubarb treatment group (n = 18) and the control group (n = 22). The same treatments were given to both groups except that the crude rhubarb treatment group was administrated with crude rhubarb powders (3 g, tid, p.o). The levels of procalcitonin, D-lactate in plasma and lactulose/mannitol (L/M) ratio in the urine were determined on the first day and the sixth day after treatment with or without crude rhubarb. There were no significant differences in procalcitonin, L/M ratio and D-lactate on the first day between the crude rhubarb treatment group and the control group (p > 0.05). However, the ratio of L/M on the sixth day for the control group was 0.167 +/- 0.036, while that of the crude rhubarb treatment group was 0.062 +/- 0.013 (p < 0.05). Moreover, the levels of procalcitonin and D-lactate in the crude rhubarb treatment group were obviously lower than those in the control group on the sixth day (procalcitonin: 4.11 +/- 1.40 microg/L vs. 2.21 +/- 0.61 mug/L; D-lactate: 0.24 +/- 0.06 ng/L vs. 0.09 +/- 0.03 ng/L, p < 0.05, both). These data confirmed that crude rhubarb's effects on septic patients of ameliorating intestinal permeability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 31003, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D007792:Lactulose / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008353:Mannitol / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D012250:Rheum; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D007773:Lactates; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011498:Protein Precursors; D008353:Mannitol; D007792:Lactulose; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide