Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of Gubiyin (GBY) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Methods: The 70 patients of AS were randomly divided into two groups, 40 patients in the GBY group were treated with GBY and 30 patients treated with indomethacin for control. Animal experiments were also conducted.
Results: Clinical observation showed that the markedly effective rate of the GBY group (57.5%) was higher than that of the control group (23.3%, P < 0.01), but the total effective rate of the two groups were similar. The effects of GBY in relieving symptoms of joints, improving function of joints, preventing degeneration of bone and improving laboratory parameters were better than those of indomethacin. In animal experiments, GBY showed its inhibition on granuloma formation, adjuvant arthritis in mice, and IL-1 production of abdominal macrophage and IL-2 production of spleen cell in rats.
Conclusion: GBY has effects of anti-inflammation, analgesic, immunoregulation, inflammation mediator inhibition and hemorrheology improvement.