Panax notoginseng preparations as adjuvant therapy for diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CONTEXT: Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen (Araliaceae) preparations (PNP) are traditional Chinese medicines used as adjuvant therapeutics for diabetic kidney disease (DKD). OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the efficacy of PNP as adjunct DKD therapy, including their effects on kidney function, serum lipid levels and fasting blood glucose levels. METHODS: The databases PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang, VIP and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were systematically searched from the date of their inception until May 2019. Panax notoginseng, Panax notoginseng saponins, Lulutong, Xueshuantong and Xuesaitong were the key terms searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the combined use of PNP and conventional medicines (CM) versus CM for DKD were included. Data were pooled using random or fixed effect models depending on heterogeneity. RESULTS: In total, 24 RCTs involving 1918 participants were analysed. Adjunct PNP with CM was associated with reduction of albuminuria (MD –26.89 mg, 95% CI: –33.35 to –20.42), proteinuria (MD –0.32 g/24 h, 95% CI: –0.36 to –0.27), serum creatinine (MD –4.52 μmol/L, 95% CI: –8.71 to –0.32), total cholesterol (MD –1.56 mmol/L, 95% CI: –2.33 to –0.78), triglycerides (TG) (MD –0.56 mmol/L, 95% CI: –0.80 to –0.31) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD –0.94 mmol/L, 95% CI: –1.49 to –0.40) compared with CM. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first meta-analysis investigating adjuvant PNP therapy for DKD. PNP apparently exerted beneficial effects on kidney function and improved the metabolism of serum lipids by CM. Further, well-conducted, high-quality trials on DKD patients are needed to provide high-quality evidence.