Chinese Herbal Medicine on Cardiovascular Diseases and the Mechanisms of Action

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are the principal cause of death worldwide. The potentially serious adverse effects of therapeutic drugs lead to growing awareness of the role of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used in many countries especially in China from antiquity; however, the mechanisms by which herbal medicine acts in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases are far from clear. In this review, we briefly describe the characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine by comparing with western medicine. Then we summarize the formulae and herbs/natural products applied in the clinic and animal studies being sorted according to the specific cardiovascular diseases. Most importantly, we elaborate the existing investigations into mechanisms by which herbal compounds act at the cellular levels, including vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes and immune cells. Future research should focus on well-designed clinic trial, in-depth mechanic study, investigations on side effects of herbs and drug interactions. Studies on developing new agents with effectiveness and safety from traditional Chinese medicine is a promising way for prevention and treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Phytochemical composition and bioactivities of hawthorn ( Crataegus spp.): review of recent research advances

“…Crataegus spp. were also reviewed together with other botanicals (Chen et al, 2009;Schmitt and Dirsch, 2009;Rastogi et al, 2016;Dennehy, 2001;Bjorklund et al, 2018), Chinese Traditional Medicine plants (Xie et al, 2012;Liu and Huang, 2016;, various herbal products (Ahmad et al, 2013;Nunes et al, 2017), nutraceuticals (Houston, 2005) and natural antioxidants (Zhao, 2005).…”

Advances in Research on the circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA Network in Coronary Heart Disease Treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine

“…Based on the principle of holistic regulation and syndrome differentiation and treatment, CHMs have been widely used in disease prevention and treatment in China and have been proven to have great clinical effectiveness on cardiovascular system disease. A previous study that summarized and introduced the application of plant products in CHD, AS, dyslipidemia, and hypertension also sorted formulae and herbs according to specific cardiovascular diseases [7]. e plant products applied in AS and dyslipidemia Over the last decades, some TCM decoctions have been confirmed to be effective in the treatment of CHD.…”

“…According to new studies, the pharmacological mechanisms of CHM are relevant to the effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, macrophages, and monocytes. Details are shown in Table 2 [7].…”

Mechanisms of Vasodilation Induced by Medicinal Plants: A Mini-Review

“…Endothelial factors that are most commonly held to account for the actions of vasodilator drugs, which may also explain the actions of vasodilator medicinal plants ( Vasorelaxants which act through interference with Ca 2+ influx via VOCC or ROCC are usually differentiated using relaxation responses of isolated arterial rings precontracted with high K + (VOCC) or phenylephrine (ROCC). 22 Some studies have reported that medicinal plants may induce vasodilation by inhibiting Ca 2+ influx, as well as the release from intracellular stores. 23 In rat mesenteric arteries, baicalin, a flavonoid compound isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis 22 was shown to significantly reduced the increase in Ca 2+ induced by stimulation with Angiotensin II, vasopressin and endothelin, by a mechanism linked with inhibition of lipoxygenase biosynthesis and release of vasoconstrictor prostaglandins.…”