Objective To establish a proper extraction method for Yangxue Ruanjian Prescription (YRP) by comparing the chemical component contents and analgesic and anti - inflammatory effect of extracts extracted from YRP by different methods. Methods Water - decocting, alcohol - refluxing and alcohol - percolating methods were adopted and component indexes of paeoniflorin and gentiopicrin were determined by HPLC. The anti - inflammatory effect of the extracts were observed on mice with xylol - induced auricular swelling and analgesic effect by hot - plate method. Results The content of gentiopicrin is similar in the extracts extracted by three methods and the content of paeoniflorin is higher in alcohol - percolating extract than in alcohol - refluxing extract, lowest in water - extraction. The analgesic effect of water - decocting extract is better than that of alcohol - refluxing extract, and that of alcohol - percolating extract is weakest; the anti - inflammatory effect of the three extracts is almost the same. Conclusion Water - decocting extraction is suitable to YRP, and this is determined by the characteristics of Chinese compound prescription.

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and safety of 5 mg perindopril arginine salt and 4 mg perindopril tert-butylamine salt for patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

METHODSThe study was designed as multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active controlled trial with two parallel groups enrolling 524 participants with mild to moderate essential hypertension. After 2-week run-in period, 186 patients were enrolled and randomly treated with 5 mg perindopril arginine salt and 183 patients were enrolled and randomly treated with 4 mg perindopril tert-butylamine salt. The random sequence was generated by the I.R.I.S., and a balance was made in each center. After double-blind treatment for 8 weeks, the dose could be doubled for patients with uncontrolled BP ((SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 90 mmHg) and patients were treated for another 4 weeks.

RESULTSThe sitting SBP was similarly decreased by (19.9 ± 17.2) mmHg in perindopril arginine group and (18.5 ± 14.7) mmHg (P = 0.000 5) in perindopril tert-butylamine group post 8 weeks treatment. Dose was doubled in 109 patients (59.9%) in perindopril arginine group and 116 patients (63.7%) in perindopril tert-butylamine group. At 12 weeks post therapy, the sitting SBP decreased by (19.8 ± 16.2) and (19.6 ± 16.3) mmHg respectively in the 2 groups. The decrease of sitting DBP was also similar in both groups (-12.0 ± 10.0) mmHg and (-11.0 ± 8.9) mmHg (P < 0.000 1), respectively. The control rate or response rate was also similar between the two groups (control rate over 8 weeks was 38.5% vs. 31.3%, 95% CI (-2.6-16.9), control rate over 12 weeks was 36.3% vs. 35.7%, 95% CI (-9.3-10.4), response rate over 8 weeks was 64.3% vs. 63.2%, 95% CI (-8.8-11.0), response rate over 12 weeks was 65.9% vs. 64.8%, 95% CI (-8.7-10.9)). Incidence of adverse events was low and similar in both therapy groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe results show that perindopril arginine salt 5 mg is as efficient as perindopril tert-butylamine 4 mg on lowering BP for patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Both drugs have good safety profile and are well tolerated by patients in this cohort.

Antihypertensive Agents ; Arginine ; Blood Pressure ; Butylamines ; Double-Blind Method ; Essential Hypertension ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Perindopril ; Sodium Chloride