Therapeutic potential of traditional chinese medicine on inflammatory diseases

Abstract

Increased oxidative stress induces inflammation to several tissues/organs leading to cell death and long-term injury. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and autophagic regulatory functions has been widely used as preventive or therapeutic strategy in modern medicine. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been widely reported to contribute to cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation, hepatotoxicity, or sympathetic activation-induced liver inflammation, lipopolysaccharide-induced renal inflammation, and substance P-mediated neurogenic hyperactive bladder based on clinical findings. In this review, we introduce several evidences for TCM treatment including Monascus adlay (MA) produced by inoculating adlay (Cois lachrymal-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) with Monascus purpureus on lung injury, Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn. of Euphorbiaceae family) on hepatotoxin-induced liver inflammation, Virgate Wormwood Decoction (Yīn Chén Hāo tāng) and its active component genipin on sympathetic activation-induced liver inflammation, and green tea extract and its active components, catechins, or a modified TCM formula Five Stranguries Powder (Wǔ Lén Sǎn) plus Crataegi Fructus (Shān Zhā) on hyperactive bladder. The pathophysiologic and molecular mechanisms of TCM on ameliorating inflammatory diseases are discussed in the review.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Endoplasmic reticulum stress; Inflammation; Oxidative stress; Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Figure 1

Effects of TCM on oxidative stress induced by several stimuli, ER stress, autophagy, apoptosis, and other mechanisms in the rat models. Cigarette smoke, toxin, virus, bacteria, sympathetic overt activation, and particulate components like substance P increase the production of reactive oxygen species, possibly by causing upregulation of NADPH oxidase subunit gp91Phox expression or mitochondrial ROS production and other sources. The ROS cause lipid, protein, and DNA oxidation and release of several cytokines or chemokines. This leads to upregulation of GRP78, which increases ER stress. ROS also increases the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and upregulates expression of caspase 3 and PARP, leading to apoptosis. Elevated levels of oxidative stress enhance Beclin-1 expression, which promotes autophagy. ROS also evoke other mechanism, for example, upregulates PlGF, an emphysema risk factor, in the lung. The active components present in the TCM have antioxidant, anti-ER stress, anti-autophagy, and anti-apoptotic activities, leading to decreased inflammation