OBJECTIVETo study the effect of yiqi huoxue formula (YHF) on healing and recurrence of peptic ulcer.

METHODSAdopting randomized and controlled principle, the 46 patients with active peptic ulcer were randomly allocated into the treated group and the control group, they received respectively the treatment of YHF + Omeprazole and Omeprazole alone for 5 weeks. If exhibiting positive Hp, the Trigeminy one-week eradicating treatment, using Omeprazole, Clarithromycin and Amoxicillin, was applied firstly, after then, followed with the prescriptive treatment. Gastroscopy was performed before and after treatment to assess the status of Hp eradicating and the endoscopic and histological maturity of regenerated mucosa. Meanwhile, the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) levels were detected with ELISA. Patients with ulcer healed were followed up for 6 months to observe the condition of recurrence.

RESULTSThe percentage of Sc phase maturity and excellent histological maturity of regenerated mucosa obtained in the treated group were more than those in the control group respectively (P < 0.05), and levels of VEGF and bFGF increased significantly in the treated group after treatment (P < 0.05). But the difference of ulcer recurrence rate between the two groups in the 6-month follow-up study showed no statistically significance. However, the recurrence rate in patients with excellent histological maturity of regenerated mucosa was lower than that with good histological maturity (P < 0.05); and it was decreasing along with the progressing of regenerated mucosa endoscopic maturity, i.e., Sc < Sb < Sa (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONYHF can improve the quality of ulcer healing, and its mechanism is possibly related to the increase of VEGF and bFGF expressions. The higher the quality of ulcer healing, the lower the recurrence rate.