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A challenge in the management of severely brain-damaged patients with altered states of consciousness is the differential diagnosis between the vegetative state (VS) and the minimally conscious state (MCS), especially for the gray zone separating these clinical entities.

The effect of two Chinese traditional drugs, Dang Gui injection prepared from Angelica sinensis and C 21 Ester glucoside (GB) extracted from Cynanchus auriculatus on in vitro production of IL-2 has been studied. The IL-2 was produced by Con A stimulation of mouse spleen mononuclear cells. The IL-2 activity was assayed using Con A stimulated blast cells as the target. It was found that Dang Gui increased and GB decreased the production of IL-2. In the control experiments for immuno-modulating effect, prosta-glandin E2 (PGE2) was found to suppress and indomethacin to increase IL-2 production. The stimulatory effect of Dang Gui was totally abrogated by PGE2.