Effects and Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Related Active Constituents Treating Gout

Abstract

Gout is an inherited metabolic disorder resulting from abnormalities in purine metabolism manifesting as episodes of acute inflammatory arthritis. The incidence of gout shows an increasing tendency each year, due to the complicated pathogenesis, the currently available drugs have poor treatment effects on it. Therefore, the development of effective drugs for gout treatment is urgently needed. Because of its high biological activity and safety, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has significant advantages in the prevention and treatment of gout. This paper systematically reviewed the related research on TCM's treatment of gout in the previous five years, and summarized the actions and mechanisms of 25 Chinese herbal extracts, 38 Chinese medicinal monomers, and 19 Chinese medicinal compounds in the treatment of gout, including serum uric acid levels reduction, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidative stress. These primarily involve the signaling pathways NLRP3/ASC/caspase, TLRs/MYD88/NF-κB, ATP/ P2X7R, and others. Furthermore, the limitations and shortcomings of the experimental study on the treatment of gout with TCM are discussed and appropriate measures are proposed. To summarize, TCM is likely to be a potential candidate for gout treatment, but more clinical research is needed to fully understand its role in the treatment of gout.