Treatment and prevention of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome using Chinese herbal medicines.

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment and prevention of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). A total of 60 patients with OSAHS were randomly divided into two groups (n=30/group): The experimental group, who received the conventional treatment + oral administration of the traditional Chinese herbal formula, Jiawei Di Tan Tang; and the control group, who received the conventional treatment only. OSAHS patients were included in the current study if they presented with snoring and had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of >30 in a polysomnography study, without comorbidities. The therapeutic course lasted 12 weeks in both groups. Alterations to the mean clinical symptom score, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and AHI scores, lowest nocturnal blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) and the serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and C-reactive protein (CRP) prior to and following treatment were observed. The mean clinical symptom score was significantly decreased in the experimental group post-treatment compared with the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the clinical symptoms in the experimental group were significantly improved following treatment compared with pre-treatment symptoms (P<0.05). Furthermore, the ESS and AHI scores, lowest nocturnal SaO2 and serum levels of SOD, MDA, IL-6, TNF-α and CRP were significantly improved in the experimental group post-treatment compared with the control group (P<0.05). These parameters in the experimental group were also significantly improved post-treatment compared with those pre-treatment (P<0.05). The results of the present study suggested that oral administration of the traditional Chinese herbal formula Jiawei Di Tan Tang was able to attenuate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in patients with OSAHS, and thus may relieve their clinical symptoms.