To observe therapeutic efficacy of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine for motor neuron disease (MND).

Motor neuron disease belongs to an impotence syndrome according to traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, a pharmaceutical composition for promoting nerve damage repair and nourishing flaccidity extract included the following main components: arginine (1.5-5 g), isoleucine (1.5-5 g), lysine (2.5-7.5 g), methionine (0.5-1.5 g), phenylalanine (0.5-5 g), tryptophan (0.5-1.5 g), valine (2.5-7.5 g), histidine (1.5-4 g), glycine (1.5-4 g), alanine (1.5-5 g), proline (1.5-4 g), asparagine (0.05-1.5 g), cysteine (0.05-1.5 g), cysteine (1.5-5 g), serine (0.25-2.5 g), tyrosine (0.05-1.5 g), L-ornithine (0.25-4 g), aspartic acid (0.5-2.5 g) and vitamins (vitamin B₁ 1-2 mg, vitamin B₂ 1-2 mg, vitamin B₆ 3-10 g and vitamin C 1-3 g)on the basis of conventional comprehensive treatment. 286 MND patients were treated in Wujin Hospital from April 2015 to March 2018. 199 cases were males and 87 cases were females, aged from 26 to 81 years, with the average age (53.7±10.7 years). The above composition was prepared in a three-liter infusion bag for intravenous infusion, once a day for 28 days for a course of treatment. The next course should be followed after drug withdrawal for 2 weeks and the treatment lasted at least for 1 course, followed by a continuous follow-up until the 6th month after the first dose. At the same time, nourishing flaccidity extract of traditional Chinese medicine was orally administrated 2 h after meals twice a day. The neurological functional evaluation was done with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R), disease progression rate and clinical manifestations in all patients pre- and post-treatment.

After treatment, 16 patients (5.6%) died from advanced respiratory failure in the terminal phase of disease. Patients with increased scores accounted for 20.3%(58/286)and those with remained unchanged for 15.0% (43/286) according to International ALSFRS-R scores. There were still 64.7% (185/286) of patients whose scores continued to decline after treatment, but the rate of decline was slower than those before treatment. The disease progression rate after treatment [0.583 (0.478) point/month] was lower than that before treatment [0.600 (0.533) point/month], the difference was statistically significant (Z=-2.088, P<0.05), and the disease progression rate of 174 patients (60.8%) decreased after treatment. Symptoms of muscular atrophy and muscle strength were improved in 12 cases (4.2%); that of atrophy of tongue muscle and speech inarticulate were improved in 6 cases (2.1%); that of salivation were improved in 9 cases (3.1%); swallowing function was improved in 15 cases (5.2%); 11 patient (3.8%)increased limb mobility; 3 patients (1.0%) who could not stand or walk restored partial walking ability; Six cases (2.1%) showed improvement in dyspnea.

On the one hand, the therapy plays a role of reinforcing spleen and kidney functions, Fuyuan Qiwei, Yiqi Wenyang, Bushen Zhuanggu, Shugan Liqi, Yangrong Shengji , Fuzheng Quxie, and Qianggu Ziwei, with dual immunomodulatory effects. On the other hand, a variety of amino acid and vitamin B₆ can provide patients with adequate metabolic substrate and strong energy and promote the body's enzyme metabolism, diuresis and detoxification. With this therapy, the damaged nerve cells are repaired to some extent, the nervous system functions are protected, and the liver and immune functions are improved. The combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine is effective, non-toxic and harmless, with no side effects and good repeatability.