title: [Effects of xuebijing on nitric oxide and VEGF-A in exhaled breath condensate of patients with ALI/ARDS].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the clinical significance of changes of nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) after they were treated by Xuebijing (XBJ), and to evaluate the effect of the EBC detection technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 32 ALI/ARDS patients receiving mechanical ventilation at intensive care unit (ICU) were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 16 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were treated by routine therapy, while those in the treatment group were treated by routine therapy + XBJ. The therapeutic course for all was 5 days. The EBC sample was collected by improved EcoScreen condenser within 24 h after confirmed diagnosis of ALI/ARDS and on the fifth day of medication. The levels of NO and VEGF-A were measured by EIA in EBC and serum. The changes of NO and VEGF-A in EBC were observed before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with before treatment, the level of NO in EBC and serum decreased and VEGF-A increased after treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). After treatment the level of NO in EBC and serum was lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The VEGF-A in EBC was higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the serum VEGF-A level between the two groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  XBJ was an effective therapeutic drug capable to control the in vivo inflammation reaction in patients with ALI/ARDS. The detection of changes of VEGF-A and NO levels by EBC could judge the inflammatory reaction degree in ALI/ARDS patients, and help evaluating the therapeutic effect.
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu 226001, China.
authors: Lei-Xi
authors: LX
authors: Xue
authors: Jian-Rong
authors: JR
authors: Chen
authors: Yi-Jiang
authors: YJ
authors: Tao
authors: Jin-Liang
authors: JL
authors: Chen
authors: Zhi-Hua
authors: ZH
authors: Xu
authors: Yun-Shu
authors: YS
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001944:Breath Tests; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C549376:Xuebijing; D009569:Nitric Oxide