title: [Effects of Astragalous Injection on oxidative stress status in maintenance hemodialysis patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the effects of Astragalous Injection on oxidative stress and micro-inflammatory status in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty MHD patients were included and randomized into treatment group and control group, with another 10 healthy volunteers as normal control. The patients in the treatment group were treated with Astragalous Injection and the patients in the control group were treated with normal saline for 12 weeks. A spectrophotometric method was used for the measurement of plasma concentrations of oxidative parameters including advanced glycation end products (AGEs), advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP), malondialdehyde (MDA) and vitamin E (Vit E). The content of C-reactive protein (CRP) was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the normal control group, the plasma levels of AGEs, AOPP, MDA and CRP were significantly increased, while plasma level of Vit E was significantly decreased in MHD patients ( P<0.01). After Astragalous Injection treatment, the plasma levels of AGEs, AOPP, MDA and CRP were decreased as compared with the control group ( P<0.01), while there was no significant difference in plasma Vit E level between the treatment group and control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There exist oxidative stress and micro-inflammation in MHD patients. Astragalous Injection can ameliorate the accumulation of oxidative products and micro-inflammatory status, but it has no significant effect on plasma Vit E level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Punan Hospital of Pudong New District, Shanghai 200125, China. quxiaolu@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Lu
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Ying-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yong-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Da-Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhong-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D027885:Astragalus propinquus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D014810:Vitamin E; D008315:Malondialdehyde