Patients with unstable angina pectoris who conform with the category of impairment of the channels and collaterals due to stagnated heat and insufficiency of ying - yin were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. In the treatment group （N = 45） Xin He Ke Li Ji

a prescription of our own

was administered with routine Western drugs: in the control group （N = 42） only with routine drugs. The baseline values of P - selectin

tumor necrotizing factor （TNF） and interleukin - 1 （IL - 1） were higher than normal subjects （N=10）. The total effective rate of angina pectoris was 86. 6%. that in EKG examination

53. 3% and that in symptoms in TCM terms

88. 9% after treatment and was significantly better than in control group （P <0. 05 or 0. 01）. The blood P -selectin

TNF and IL -1 of the patients were decreased both in the treatment and control group and the decrease in the treatment group was significantly greater than that of the control group （P<0. 01）. The results suggested that impairment of the channels and collaterals due to stagnated heat is one of the important mechanisms in occurrence of angina. It is showed that Xin He Ke Li Ji can decrease the content of P -selectin

TNF and IL-1. protect the endothelium against injury and further against vascular spasm

thrombus formation and the rupture of the unstable plaques.