Effect of Buyang-Huanwu decoction on incidence of macular edema, visual acuity and serum VEGF, IL-6 levels after operation in diabetic cataract patients

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of Buyang-Huanwu decoction on incidence of macular edema, visual acuity and serum VEGF, IL-6 levels after operation in diabetic cataract patients. Methods A total of 46 post-operative patients with diabetic cataract were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was treated with pranoprofen eye drops combined with tobramycin dexamethasone eye drops, and the study group was treated with Buyang-Huanwu decoction combined with Salviae Miltiorrhizae and Ligustrazine Hydrochloride injection based on the control group. The central subfield mean thickness (CSMT) at baseline before operation and 1d, 1w, 4w, 8w, 12w after operation, corrected vision at 0w, 1w, 6w, 12w, serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) before and after treatment of two groups were observed, and the incidence of macular edema was analysed. Results The CSMT of study group at 8 w (226.35 ± 9.88 μm vs. 214.74 ± 9.27 μm, t=2.118) and 12 w (233.57 ± 11.25 μm vs. 213.62 ± 10.13 μm, t=2.258) after operation were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05). The best corrected visual acuity of study group at 6 w (4.61 ± 0.32 vs. 4.82 ± 0.25, t=2.0460 and 12 w (4.57 ± 0.29 vs. 4.79 ± 0.24, t=2.180) after operation were significantly higher than those of control group (P<0.05). The levels of VEGF (174.31 ± 45.63 pg/ml vs. 83.65 ± 24.47 pg/ml, t=4.145) and IL-6 (27.25 ± 9.21 pg/ml vs. 15.24 ± 3.14 pg/ml, t=3.829) of study group were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05). The incidence of macular edema at 8 w and 12 w after operation in study group were respectively 0.0% and 2.9% (1/35), and the control group were 16.2% (6/37) and 21.6% (8/37). The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The Buyang-Huanwu decoction in treatement of post-operation patients with diabetic cataract could reduce the incidence of macular edema and improve the visual acuity. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Phacoemulsification; Intraocular lens implantation; Macular edema; Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang