[Clinical study on effect of qihuang oral liquid to enteric flora disturbance and serum endotoxin level in patients of liver cirrhosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Qihuang oral liquid (QHOL) in treating enteric flora disturbance and serum endotoxin level of liver cirrhosis patients. METHODS: Seventy patients suffering from liver cirrhosis were randomized into the control group and the QHOL treated group. The symptomatic changes, quantitative determination of anaerobic and aerobic flora in feces as well as serum endotoxin level were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, the treated group revealed a significantly better effects (P < 0.05) in the following parameters: (1) reduction in aerobic and increase in anaerobic flora, thus to improve the ratio of enteric flora; (2) improvement in clinical symptoms; (3) lowering in serum endotoxin level. CONCLUSION: QHOL might alter the ratio of enteric flora by increasing anaerobics, a significant lowering of enterogenic endotoxin production and absorption, hence obviously reduced serum endotoxin level was induced which might correlate to the improvement in symptoms and liver damage.