title: [Clinical study on treatment of carotid atherosclerosis with extraction of polygoni cuspidati rhizoma et radix and crataegi fructus: a randomized controlled trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of detoxifying and blood circulation activating Chinese herb extraction of polygonum cuspidatum and hawthorn on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), plaque integral and plaque stability related serum indexes of patients with carotid atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty and four cases of carotid artery atherosclerosis patients were assigned randomly to 2 groups: detoxifying and blood circulation activating treatment group (treatment group, 32 cases) and control group (32 cases). Patients in treatment group were treated with capsules of extraction of polygonum cuspidatum and hawthorn, 1 pill po, bid (dosage of administration: polygonum cuspidatum extraction 5.33 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), hawthorn extraction 5.0 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)); patients in control group were treated with lovastatin 20 mg po, qd (dosage of administration: 0.33 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)). The course of treatment was six months. To observe changes of IMT, plaque integral, and detect the level of plaque stability related serum indexes such as Hs-CRP, MMP-1 and TIMP-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 months of treatment, in control group one patient quit the clinical trial because of liver dysfunction and one patient was rejected because of having not followed the therapeutic regimen. 32 cases in treatment group and 30 cases in control group were analyzed. The results showed that IMT and plaque integral of treatment group decreased significantly after the treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference compared with control grope. Serum Hs-CRP, MMP-1 and MMP-1/TIMP-1 decreased after the treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the treatment group was superior to control group in decreasing serum Hs-CRP (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detoxifying and blood circulation activating Chinese herb extraction of polygonum cuspidatum and hawthorn has good effect of anti-atherosclerosis and promoting plaque stability. Its mechanism might be related with anti-inflammation and inhibiting degradation of extracellular matrix, and deserves further studies.
authors: Long-Tao
authors: LT
authors: Liu
authors: Guang-Juan
authors: GJ
authors: Zheng
authors: Wen-Gao
authors: WG
authors: Zhang
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Guo
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D027825:Crataegus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045468:Fallopia japonica / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012449:Safety; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1