Objective: To study the effects of 25% Angelica sinensis injection on hemodynamics, endothelin-1 (ET-1), angiotensin-II (AT-II), endogenous digitalis-like factor (EDF), pulmonary function and arterial blood gas in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated pulmonary hypertension.
Methods: Sixty COPD patients complicated with pulmonary hypertension in remission stage were randomly divided into two groups, 30 cases in each. The Angelica group and the control group were treated with Angelica sinensis injection and 5% glucose injection (250 ml, intravenous dripping per day for 10 days) respectively. It was designed to investigate the changes of hemodynamics, ET-1, AT-II, EDF, pulmonary function and arterial blood gas.
Results: The levels of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), blood ET-1, AT-II and EDF were reduced by (18 +/- 5)%, (27 +/- 8)%, (20 +/- 6)%, (36 +/- 9)%, (38 +/- 11)% respectively, and PaO2 was increased in Angelica group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). There were insignificant differences of the above parameters in the control group, and no changes of pulmonary function in both groups.
Conclusion: Twenty-five Percent of Angelica injection can improve pulmonary hemodynamics through influencing the metabolism of ET-1, AT-II and EDF as well as increase PaO2 of the body.