[Effect of guishen zhiyang recipe for treatment of patients with senile pruritus of blood-deficiency and Gan-hyperactive syndrome type and its impact on stem cell factor and dynorphin].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism of Chinese medicinal therapy for nourishing blood and softening Gan in treating senile pruritus through observing the impact of Guishen Zhiyang Recipe (GZR) on serum levels of stem cell factor (SCF) and dynorphin (DYN) in patients suffered from the disease of blood-deficiency and Gan-hyperactive syndrome type (BDGH).


METHODS
Sixty patients with senile pruritus were equally randomized into two groups, the patients in the treated group (33 cases) were treated by GZR, and those in the control group (28 cases) were treated by Fuyang Granule, all for 8 weeks. Changes of symptoms and skin lesions as well as blood levels of SCF and DYN were observed before and after treatment.


RESULTS
Three patients were rejected from the treated group. Twenty patients in the treated group were cured after treatment, the cure rate being 66.7%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (10 patients, 35.7%, P < 0.05). Levels of SCF and DYN in the treated group significantly lowered after treatment (all P < 0.01), and were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
GZR shows favorite effect in treating senile pruritus of BDGH type and it may be achieved by regulating SCF and DYN levels to improve the pruritus associated inflammatory media.
Department of Dermatology, Chaoyang Hospital (Jing-xi Camtus) Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing. greatsea99@sina.com
Dong
D
Lan
Hai-Yan
HY
Zhang
Bao-Sen
BS
Pang
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013577:Syndrome
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D004399:Dynorphins