[Protective effect of compound tongfu granule on intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with cirrhosis of decompensation stage].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the intestinal mucosal barrier protective effect of herbal medicine Compound Tongfu Granule (CTG) in patients with liver cirrhosis of decompensation stage. METHODS: Fifty patients enrolled were randomly assigned to the control group (26 cases) and the CTG group (24 cases), and 30 healthy adults were set up as normal control. After 2-week treatment, the intestinal permeability (IP, represented by urinary lactulose/mannitol excretion rate), plasma endotoxin (EDT) level, and change of enteric bacteria (EB) in patients were observed before and after treatment, and compared with those in the normal control. RESULTS: Before treatment, cirrhotic patients showed significantly higher levels of IP, EDT, and intestinal bacilli, but a lower amount of enteric bifidobacteria as compared with those the normal control. After 2-week treatment, levels of EDT and urinary excretion rate of lactulose in the CTG group were lowered more significantly than those in the control group (P < 0.05), while the amount of bifidobacteria in the CTG group increased accompanied with intestinal bacilli significantly lowered to near the levels in the normal control (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CTG can improve the intestinal barrier function, correct the intestinal bacteria disturbance, and significantly reduce the entero-derived endotoxemia in cirrhotic patients of decompensation stage.