[Effect of total saponins of Panax notoginseng on urinary albumin in patients with chronic renal failure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the curative effect of total saponins of Panax notoginseng (PNS) on chronic renal failure (CRF). METHODS: Sixty patients with CRF (non-uremic) were randomly divided into the experimental and the control groups, with 30 cases in each group. Patients in experimental group were given PNS extract Xueshuantong 0.45 g on the basis of the general symptomatic treatment, once a day. While the patients in the control group were treated with Bailing capsule of 1.0 g, three times a day. Total therapeutic courses were 2 months for both groups. The changes in renal function, hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary protein, parathyroid hormone (PTH), N-acutely-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were observed in two groups. RESULTS: After 2 months, the changes in serum creatinine (SCr), clearance rate of endogenous creatinine (CCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary protein were improved in both groups, while the changes in CCr, BUN, hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary protein in the experimental group were more obvious [CCr (ml/s): 0.36±0.13 vs. 0.34±0.12, BUN (mmol/L): 15.66±9.05 vs. 20.32±8.30, hemoglobin (g/L): 101.2±9.4 vs. 95.4±8.7, 24-hour urinary protein (mg): 1 040±450 vs. 2 360±390, all P<0.05]. After treatment, NAG (U/L) were decreased significantly only in control group (18.2±9.8 vs. 28.9±12.0, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: PNS has a good therapeutic effect for the treatment of CRF (non-uremic). It possesses such therapeutic effects as improving the renal function, and lowering urine protein.