BACKGROUND: The severity of cerebral infarction is associated with the increase of blood viscosity caused by hyperfibrinogenemia and hyperlipidemia, etc. Thus it has become one of the target for treating cerebral infarction to decrease blood viscosity by integrated Chinese and western medicine.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence and clinical therapeutic effects of cinepazide maleate combined with tanshinone Ⅱ A sodium sulfonate on the hemorrheologic indexes and blood lipids of patients with acute cerebral infarction, and compare the results with those of simple cinepazide maleate treatment.DESIGN: A non-randomized case-controlled observation.SETTINGS: Hebei North University; the Second Affiliated Hospitals of Hebei North University; the Third Affiliated Hospitals of Hebei North University.PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-six inpatients with cerebral infarction were selected from the infirmary, the Second and Third Affiliated Hospitals of Hebei North University from September 2004 to October 2006.They were all diagnosed to have acute cerebral infarction by CT or MRI, and accorded with the diagnostic standards for acute cerebral infarction set by the Fourth National Academic Meeting for Cerebrovascular Disease in 1995. Meanwhile, 40 teachers and medical staff of voluntary physical examinees were selected as the control group. Informed contents were obtained from all the patients and their relatives.METHODS: The patients were divided into combined treatment group (n=43) and simple treatment group (n=43). In the combined treatment group, the patients were administrated with 160 mg cinepazide maleate injection (Beijing Four-ring Pharmaceutical, Co.,Ltd, No. H200220125; 80 mg/2 mL) added in 5％ glucose,and 40 mg tanshinone Ⅱ sodium sulfonate (Shanghai No.1 Biochemical & Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd., No.H31022558, 10 mg/2 mL) added in 250 mL normal saline. In the simple treatment group, the patients were only administrated with cinepazide maleate 320 mg added in 5％ glucose or 250 mL normal saline. They were treated for 1 or 2 courses, once a day, and 14 days as a course. The patients were detected before treatment and at 14 and 28 days after treatment respectively. ① Determination of hemorrheologic indexes:Whole blood viscosity was determined with LBY-N6B automatic hemorrheologic meter; Plasma viscosity with LBY-F200B automatic plasma viscosity meter; Volume of fibrinogen was determined by the method of 12.5％ sodium nitrate depositing biuret reaction. ② Determination of blood lipids: The serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined. ③ Severity of neurological deficit: The total score of neurological deficit score (NDS) ranged from 0 to 45 points, 0 - 15 points was taken as mild, 16 - 30 points as moderate and 31 - 45 points as severe. ④ Evaluation of curative effects: Generally cured: NDS decreased by 91％ -100％, and disabled severity of grade 0; Significantly improved: NDS decreased by 46％ - 90％, and disabled severity of grades 1 - 3; Improved: NDS decreased by 18％ - 45％; No change: NDS decreased by less than 18％; Aggravated: NDS increased by more than 18％. Generally cured and significant improved were taken as significant effect. ⑤ The adverse events and side effects after medication were observed.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Results of hemorrheologic indexes and blood lipids; ② NDS results in the combined treatment group and simple treatment group; ③ Therapeutic effects and adverse events.RESULTS: All the 86 patients with cerebral infarction and 40 healthy controls were involved in the analysis of results. ① Results of hemorrheologic indexes and blood lipids: The hemorrheologic indexes and blood lipids before treatment were manifested as abnormalities to different extents in both the combined treatment group and simple treatment group; The hemorrheologic indexes after treatment were obviously improved in both groups. But the hemorrheologic indexes were improved more obviously in the combined treatment group as compared with those in the simple treatment group (P ＜ 0.05); The levels of TC, TG and LDL-C after treatment in the combined treatment group were obviously lowered (P ＜ 0.05), whereas those in the simple treatment group were not significantly changed (P ＞ 0.05). ② NDS results: The NDS scores at 14 and 28 days after treatment in the combined treatment group [(6.23±2.34), (4.27±1.83) points] were obviously lower than those in the simple treatment group [(8.76±3.41), (6.65±2.49) points, P ＜ 0.05]. ③Therapeutic effects and side effects: The total significant effective rates in the combined treatment group and simple treatment group were 93％ and 81％ respectively. In the combined treatment group, 1 case suffered from palpitation, dizziness and agrypnia. In the simple treatment group, 1 case suffered from palpitation,dizziness and agrypnia, 1 case had itch of skin. All the above symptoms disappeared gradually after the transfusing speed was adjusted to be slower. No drug withdrawal occurred in the patients due to the adverse events.CONCLUSION: Cinepazide maleate combined with tanshinon can obviously improve the abnormalities of hemorrheologic indexes and blood lipids and nerve function in patients with acute cerebral infarction, and its curative effect is faster than that of simple cinepazide maleate treatment.