Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2001. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 15, 2001; 7(5): 735-740
Published online Oct 15, 2001. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v7.i5.735
Treatment of rotaviral gastroenteritis with Qiwei Baizhu powder
Shuang-Teng He, Fei-Zhou He, Can-Rong Wu, Shun-Xiang Li, Wei-Xin Liu, Yong-Fang Yang, Shi-Sheng Jiang, Gang He
Shuang-Teng He, Gang He, Institute of Combined Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
Fei-Zhou He, Shun-Xiang Li, Yong-Fang Yang, Shi-Sheng Jiang, Hunan Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410006, Hunan Province, China
Can-Rong Wu, Department of Microbiology, Hunan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China
Wei-Xin Liu, Department of Pediatrics, The Second Hospital of Shuangfeng County, 411700, Hunan Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 39 270861
Correspondence to: Dr. Shuang-Teng He, Institute of Combined Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China. shuangteng@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-731-8861841
Received: February 13, 2001
Revised: June 6, 2001
Accepted: June 26, 2001
Published online: October 15, 2001
Abstract

AIM: To observe the effects of Qiwei Baizhu Powder (QWBZP) on rotaviral gastroenteritis in children and in animal models.

METHODS: Enrolled patients were divided into two groups, and one group was treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS) and the other treated with oral liquid of QWBZP. Neonate mice were orally infected with 50 μL rotavirus suspension (4 × 108 PFU/mL) and treated with ORS or oral liquid of QWBZP, respectively.

RESULTS: Eighty-three cases of rotaviral gastroenteritis treated with QWBZP revealed a better efficacy than that treated with ORS (χ² = 10.87, P < 0.05). The contents of sodium and glucose as well as number of patients with positive human rotavirus antigen in stool in QWBZP group were all less than that in ORS group. In animal models, QWBZP was found effective in treating rotavirus gastroenteritis in neonate NIH mice, as compared with control groups. In QWBZP group, the mortality of infected mice was decreased by 73.3%, the body weight of infected mice was increased, the contents of sodium and glucose as well as number of mice with positive rotavirus antigen in feces were significantly reduced, and the pathological changes such as damage of small intestinal mucosa and villi were also obviously alleviated.

CONCLUSION: QWBZP has effects on improving the absorptive function of small intestine, shortening the duration of diarrhea and rotavirus shedding from stool and alleviating the pathological changes of small intestine induced by rotavirus.

Keywords: gastroenteritis/drug therapy; rotavirus infections/drug therapy; Qiwei baizhu powder/therapeutic use; disease models, animal