Effect of the Combined Treatment of Taoren Chengqi Decoction with Laser Photocoagulation on Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

This study investigates the therapeutic effect of the combined treatment of Taoren Chengqi decoction with laser photocoagulation on DR. In animal experiments, A total of 18 rats were used and randomly divided into blank groups, model groups, and treatment groups. The rats in the model group and treatment group were intraperitoneally injected with 60 mg/kg streptozotocin. Moreover, the TCT group was gavaged with Tao-ren Cheng-qi decoction, while the other groups received an equivalent volume of normal saline once daily for 8 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β were determined. In the clinical trial, a total of 80 patients with DR were divided into a laser group (treated with laser photocoagulation) and a combination group (treated with laser photocoagulation+Taoren Chengqi decoction). The central macular thickness (CMT), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α were measured in the patients. In animal experiments, we observe that Tao-ren Cheng-qi decoction can effectively reduce the levels of FBG, IL-6, and IL-1β in rats models with DR. Clinical studies revealed that the combination of Taoren Chengqi decoction with laser photocoagulation reduced the levels of blood glucose and lipid-related indices, and improved the inflammatory state, BCVA, and CMT. Therefore, this study suggests that the combined treatment of laser surgery and Taoren Chengqi decoction can be considered an optimal therapeutic approach for patients with DR.