A randomised double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries (Crataegisan) in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure NYHA II.

A placebo controlled, randomised, parallel group, multicentre trial conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) shows the efficacy and safety of a standardised extract of fresh berries of Crataegus oxyacantha L. and monogyna Jacq. (Crataegisan) in patients with cardiac failure NYHA class II.

A double-blind randomised trial to investigate three different concentrations of a standardised fresh plant extract obtained from the shoot tips of Hypericum perforatum L.

The aim of this randomised double-blind multi-centre parallel group comparative study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of a new standardised fresh-plant extract obtained from the shoot tips of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Echinaforce and other Echinacea fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold. A randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of different doses and preparations of Echinacea purpurea in the treatment of common cold. 246 of 559 recruited healthy, adult volunteers caught a common cold and took 3 times daily 2 tablets of either Echinaforce (Echinacea purpurea-preparation from 95% herba and 5% radix), Echinacea purpurea concentrate (same preparation at 7 times higher concentration), special Echinacea purpurea radix preparation (totally different from that of Echinaforce) or placebo until they felt healthy again but not longer than 7 days. The primary endpoint was the relative reduction of the complaint index defined by 12 symptoms during common cold according to the doctor's record.

[Atherosclerosis treatment with etofibrate retard. New perspectives].

In a multicentric general-practice-study 2504 hyperlipoproteinemic patients were treated with etofibrate retard for 4 weeks. The drug was administered once daily in the evening. A highly significant decrease of the mean values of cholesterol around 18.

The effects of acidosis and alkalosis on coronary flow and cardiac nucleotide metabolism.

The changes of the coronary flows and of the cardiac nucleotide metabolism during acidosis and during alkalosis were studied in 50 perfused guinea pig hearts with and without hypoxia. At pH 7.0 the coronary flows increased, and at pH 7.

Effects of ischemia on adenine nucleotide metabolism and coronary flow during cardiac hypertrophy.

The effects of ischemia on myocardial adenine nucleotide metabolism and coronary flow during cardiac hypertrophy were studied in 140 rats and 20 guinea pigs, respectively. During increased periods of ischemia, the initially lower ATP contents decreased significantly as did the initially elevated ADP levels, whereas AMP, adenosine, and inosine, and hypoxanthine showed a continually rising elevation compared with the normal hearts. The sum of ATP, ADP, AMP, and their degradation products in the hypertrophied myocardial tissues started to decline after 5 min of ischemia.