Influence of Shenfu injection(参附注射液)on tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-2 and lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at acute exacerbation stage

Objective To evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of Shenfu injection (参附注射液) on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at acute exacerbation stage (AECOPD) and approach its therapeutic mechanism. Methods Fifty-eight patients with AECOPD were divided into a Shenfu group (30 cases) and a control group(28 cases); the Shenfu group received 50 ml Shenfu injection and 5% glucose 250 ml intravenous drip once a day at the base of conventional therapy,while the control group received conventional therapy only. The therapeutic course of both groups was 14 days. The clinical therapeutic effects of both groups were observed, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2) were measured by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the lung function of both groups was measured before and after the treatment. Results The total effective rates was 93.3% (28/30) and 85.7% (24/28) in the treatment group and the control group, respectively. In the comparison before and after treatment, the levels of TNF-α in both groups were decreased obviously (both P0.05), while the levels of IL-2 were increased obviously in the two groups (both P0.01) after the treatment; in the treatment group, the extent of change was significantly greater than that in the control group (P0.05). The lung function of both groups were improved obviously, especially in Shenfu group (both P0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P0.05). Conclusion Shenfu injection has a definite clinical curative effect in the treatment of AECOPD, it may decrease obviously the serum level of TNF-α, increase the level of IL-2 and improve the lung function in the patients with AECOPD.