Clinical effects of rheum and captopril on preventing progression of chronic renal failure.

A clinical trial, to evaluate the effects of a Chinese herbal drug, Rheum E and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, Captopril on chronic renal failure (CRF), was conducted. Thirty cases with initial serum creatinine (Scr) levels of 344.8 +/- 114.0 mumol/L were allocated randomly to 3 groups: Rheum E treated group, Captopril treated group and Rheum E + Captopril group. A control group of 12 cases were on dietary therapy alone. During the 6-22 months of treatment, all the patients were kept on low-protein (0.6g/kg/d), and low-phosphorus (10mg/kg/d) diet. The results showed that the progression rate of renal failure, calculated by regression analysis of 1/Scr vs time, was found to be retarded after treatment with the increased regression coefficient (b value). Scr levels and blood urea nitrogen were kept stable or fell slightly. Albumin rose during the follow-up period (P less than 0.05) in the treated patients, being more marked in both Rheum E and Rheum E + Captopril groups. Uremic symptoms of nausea, anorexia improved in most of the treated patients. It is concluded that long-term low-dose Rheum E taken orally is beneficial to CRF. Its effect is better than that of Captopril. The regime of Rheum E and Captopril is a preferable choice in the long-term treatment for preventing progression of CRF.