Effect of Jiawei Shenfu decoction on tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nuclear factor-kappa B in patients who have chronic heart failure with syndromes of deficiency of heart Yang.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the clinical efficacy of Jiawei Shenfu decoction on tumor necrosis factor-al- pha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) levels in patients who have chronic heart failure with syndromes of deficiency of heart Yang.

METHODS

A total of 63 patients with syndromes of deficiency of heart Yang (chronic heart failure) were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into the control group and Jiawei Shenfu group. All patients received standard medications for treatment of chronic heart failure. Patients in the Jiawei Shenfu group were additionally provided Jiawei Shenfu decoction one dose daily. Treatments continued for 4 consecutive weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), NF-κB, and TNF-α levels during 4 weeks of treatment.

RESULTS

At the 4-week follow-up, a significant reduction in BNP levels compared with baseline was observed in both groups, but the Jiawei Shenfu decoction group showed a significantly greater reduction than did the control group. The Jiawei Shenfu group also showed superior performance regarding the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score, the Chinese medicine syndrome score, heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, and 6-min walking distance compared with the control group. The degree of changes in NF-κB and TNF-α levels in the Jiawei Shenfu group was more significant than that in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Routine medicine combined with Jiawei Shenfu decoction for patients with heart Yang deficiency syndrome in chronic heart failure can improve the left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac function, and reduce BNP levels. The mechanism may be related to inhibition of pro-inflamma- tory cytokines and the NF-κB-induced kinase pathway, leading to amelioration of the inflammatory response.