Objective: Observation on the clinical therapeutic effect of Anchang Jiaonang (intestine soothing capsule) on chronic ulcerative colitis.

Methods: 200 cases of hospitalized or ambulatory patients are included. They are randomly distributed to treated group (100 cases), control 1 group and control 2 group (50 cases in each). All patients correspond with the diagnostic criteria for ulcerative colitis set up in "Latest Diagnostic Standard for Domestic and Abroad Diseases". Amebic or bacterial dysentery, chronic schistosomiasis, intestinal tuberculosis, carcinoma of colon is excluded by enteroscopy, Pathological examination and stool cultivation. Self-Prepared Anchang Capsules; (intestine soothing capsule) are used in the treated group. It consists of Radix codonopsis pilosulas, Radix astragali seu Hedysari, Rhizoma atrctylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Rhizoma curcumae longae, prepared Radix aconiti, Radix Sanguisorbas, Radix Aucklandiae, Rhizoma Corydalis, Semen Arecae, Radix Paeoniae rubra. Semen coicis, Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae, Radix Pulsatillae Radix glycyrrhizae et al, 4 capsules once, t.i.d. In control 1 group (Chinese drug control group) Bup: Yichang pill (invigorating spleen to benefit intestine pill) is taken 6g once. t.i.d. In control 2 group (western drug control group) metronidazole 0.4g t.i.d was given. 1 course consists of 30 days and 3 courses are taken for all three groups. At end of treatment, enteroscopy and other laboratory examinations are rechecked. The evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment is following those in "Latest Diagnostic Standard for Domestic and Abroad Diseases". Cure: subside of clinical symptoms, recovery to normal in enteroscopic and other laboratory examination. Improvement: reducing in clinical symptom, pathological changes of intestinal mucous membrane improved under enteroscopy, a few red cells and White cells in routine stool examination. No effect: no improvement in clinical symptom and enteroscopic examination.

Results: Cure rate for the treated group is 62%, effective rate is 95%, that of the higher than control group (P<0.0l). In treated group IgA, IgG, IgM are much reduced after treatment. In the control 1 group only IgG, IgM and in control 2 group only IgM are reduced after treatment. Biopsy of intestinal mucous membrane was carried before and after treatment on 50 cases in the boated group. Inflammatory cells in the membrane decreased markedly after treatment. Intestinal blood circulation returned normal. Immuno-histochemical examination in 16 cases of treated group demonstrates that positive T lymphocytes were found before treatment and the number of the cell reduced after treatment.

Conclusion: Anchang Capsule is effective in reducing the intestinal T lymphocyte infiltration, decreasing regional inflammatory reaction of the intestine mucus membrane and regulating immunological function of the body.

By Xiao Zhenqiu, Lu Xiaoping, He Zesheng, etc.