View in EDS

Cell Death in Atherosclerosis: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Cell Death in Atherosclerosis: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Authors: Xie, Danqi (AUTHOR), Li, Zhaoshui (AUTHOR), Zheng, Xiaolei (AUTHOR), Sun, Xiaohui (AUTHOR), Leng, Xin (AUTHOR), Jiang, Ting (AUTHOR)
Source: American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2026, Vol. 54 Issue 2, p375-409. 35p.
Subjects: Chinese medicine, In vitro studies, NF-kappa B, Astragalus (Plants), Biological models, Autophagy, Macrophages, Lipid metabolism disorders, Apoptosis, Atherosclerosis, In vivo studies, Oxidative stress, AMP-activated protein kinases, Plants, Ferroptosis, Pathological anatomy, Immunohistochemistry, Cell death, Endothelial cells, Vascular smooth muscle, Genetic disorders, Glycyrrhiza, Western immunoblotting, Phosphotransferases, Transferases, Ginseng, Nuclear factor E2 related factor
Abstract: Atherosclerosis (AS), a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, is driven by dysregulated programmed cell death (PCD) pathways. These pathways, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis, contribute to plaque instability. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a multi-targeted approach for modulating these pathways, but its molecular mechanisms in AS remain inadequately explored. This review aims to investigate the modulatory effects of TCM on PCD pathways in AS, its therapeutic potential for enhancing plaque stability, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. A narrative literature review based on relevant preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies was conducted on TCM bioactive constituents and formulas. These included studies on tonifying herbs like Radix Astragali, Radix Ginseng, and Radix Glycyrrhizae, the extracts of Radix Salviae liguliobae, and classical prescriptions such as Danshen Prescription, Huayu Qutan Recipe, Modified Taohong Siwu Decoction, Xuezhikang, Gualou Xiebai Decoction, and Mai Ji Tong Granules. The relevant data were obtained from searches of major international and Chinese biomedical databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, the China Biology Medicine Database, CNKI, Wanfang, and CSTJ. The evidence indicates that these interventions modulate PCD-related pathways to thereby inhibit pathological cell death, enhance protective autophagy, and influence cellular homeostasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and efferocytosis. TCM's multi-component nature addresses the limitations of single-target Western therapies, and thus provides a holistic strategy for AS management. However, gaps remain in the mechanistic understanding and pharmacokinetic profiles of TCM constituents that hinder clinical application. This review emphasizes TCM's potential as a complementary therapy for AS. It likewise suggests the need for further studies to identify bioactive compounds and integrate TCM with precision medicine in order to achieve better therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of American Journal of Chinese Medicine is the property of World Scientific Publishing Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Description
Abstract:Atherosclerosis (AS), a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, is driven by dysregulated programmed cell death (PCD) pathways. These pathways, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis, contribute to plaque instability. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a multi-targeted approach for modulating these pathways, but its molecular mechanisms in AS remain inadequately explored. This review aims to investigate the modulatory effects of TCM on PCD pathways in AS, its therapeutic potential for enhancing plaque stability, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. A narrative literature review based on relevant preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies was conducted on TCM bioactive constituents and formulas. These included studies on tonifying herbs like Radix Astragali, Radix Ginseng, and Radix Glycyrrhizae, the extracts of Radix Salviae liguliobae, and classical prescriptions such as Danshen Prescription, Huayu Qutan Recipe, Modified Taohong Siwu Decoction, Xuezhikang, Gualou Xiebai Decoction, and Mai Ji Tong Granules. The relevant data were obtained from searches of major international and Chinese biomedical databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, the China Biology Medicine Database, CNKI, Wanfang, and CSTJ. The evidence indicates that these interventions modulate PCD-related pathways to thereby inhibit pathological cell death, enhance protective autophagy, and influence cellular homeostasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and efferocytosis. TCM's multi-component nature addresses the limitations of single-target Western therapies, and thus provides a holistic strategy for AS management. However, gaps remain in the mechanistic understanding and pharmacokinetic profiles of TCM constituents that hinder clinical application. This review emphasizes TCM's potential as a complementary therapy for AS. It likewise suggests the need for further studies to identify bioactive compounds and integrate TCM with precision medicine in order to achieve better therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:0192415X
DOI:10.1142/S0192415X2650014X