Busuishengxue ranules mediate their effects upon non-severe aplastic anemia via mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway

OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical efficacy of Busuishengxue granules on non-severe aplastic anemia(NSAA)and investigate its effect on the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase(MAPK/ERK)pathway.METHODS:Sixty NSAA patients were divided equally into two groups.Subjects in the experimental group were treated with Busuishengxue granules,and the control group with Zaizaoshengxue tablets.The treatment course was 6 months and cu-rative efficacy was compared between the two groups as well as with 10 healthy individuals.Flow cytometry(FCM)was used to detect the intracellular concentration of Ca2+([Ca2+]i).Western blotting was employed to detect the expression of enzymes in the MAPK/ERK pathway.RESULTS:The efficacy of Busuishengxue granules was significantly better than that of Zaizaoshengxue tablets(P<0.05).Before treatment,expression of JNK,phospho-ERK 1/2 and p-JNK was higher,and[Ca2+]i higher,than that of the control group(P<0.05).After treatment with Busuishengxue granules,expression of all enzymes related to signal transduction pathways in the blood cells of NSSA patients were altered to different degrees.CONCLUSION:Busuishengxue granules had a better effect with regard to improving symptom scores,increasing the number of blood leukocytes,and increasing hemoglobin levels than Zaizaoshengxue tablets,and they differed slightly in terms of increasing the number of platelets.