OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of Compound Fructus Arctii Mixture (FAM, consisted of Fructus Arctii and ethanol extract of Radix Astragalus membranaceus) in treating diabetic nephropathy.

METHODS

Using FAM to treat 31 patients with diabetic nephropathy and controlled by 23 patients treated with Losartan, the therapeutic course was 3 months for both groups, changes of clinical symptoms, blood glucose, lipid metabolism and urinary albumin were observed and compared.

RESULTS

The total effective rate in the treated group was 80.6% while in the control group 65.2%. The symptoms, urinary protein and albumin as well as lipid metabolism in the treated group all significantly improved after treatment (P<0.05), but in the control group improvement only showed in urinary albumin level (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

FAM has the effects of reducing urinary protein in 24 hrs, lowering urinary albumin, improving blood glucose after meal and lipid metabolism.