title: Effects of glutamine and valsartan on the brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide of patients with chronic heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the effects of glutamine and valsartan on the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 140 CHF patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group by random drawing, and were subjected to standard anti-heart failure treatment and administered with valsartan. Besides, the treatment group was also intravenously transfused glutamine. The treatment lasted eight weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall efficacy of treatment group and control group were 98.6% and 90.0% respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The two groups had significantly increased left ventricular ejection fractions as well as significantly decreased left ventricular end-diastolic volumes and left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions after treatments (P<0.05) compared with those before. There were also inter-group differences between these values (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of BNP, NT-proBNP and CD8(+) in both groups significantly decreased (P<0.05), whereas those of CD4(+) significantly increased (P<0.05). The two groups also had significantly different values (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glutamine in combination with valsartan enhanced the therapeutic effects by improving cardiac function, which may be associated with decreased expressions of BNP and NT-proBNP and beneficial effects of glutamine on immune function.
authors: Dr. Mingliang Shao, Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Mingliang
authors: M
authors: Shao
authors: Dr. Congxin Huang, Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors: Congxin
authors: C
authors: Huang
authors: Dr. Zhen Li, Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Xuancheng City, Xuancheng, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: Dr. Hui Yang, Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Xuancheng City, Xuancheng, People's Republic of China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Yang
authors: Dr. Qifan Feng, Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Xuancheng City, Xuancheng, People's Republic of China.
authors: Qifan
authors: Q
authors: Feng
keywords: Brain natriuretic peptide; Chronic heart failure; Glutamine; N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide; Valsartan