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Inhibiting TGF-[Formula: see text] 1-Mediated Cellular Processes as an Effective Strategy for the Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis with Chinese Herbal Medicines.
Wang, J, Zhao, X, Feng, W, Li, Y, Peng, C
The American journal of Chinese medicine. 2021;(8):1965-1999
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic and irreversible interstitial lung disease that even threatens the lives of some patients infected with COVID-19. PF is a multicellular pathological process, including the initial injuries of epithelial cells, recruitment of inflammatory cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, activation and differentiation of fibroblasts, etc. TGF-[Formula: see text]1 acts as a key effect factor that participates in these cellular processes of PF. Recently, much attention was paid to inhibiting TGF-[Formula: see text]1 mediated cell processes in the treatment of PF with Chinese herbal medicines (CHM), an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Here, this review first summarized the effects of TGF-[Formula: see text]1 in different cellular processes of PF. Then, this review summarized the recent research on CHM (compounds, multi-components, single medicines and prescriptions) to directly and/or indirectly inhibit TGF-[Formula: see text]1 signaling (TLRs, PPARs, micrRNA, etc.) in PF. Most of the research focused on CHM natural compounds, including but not limited to alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and terpenes. After review, the research perspectives of CHM on TGF-[Formula: see text]1 inhibition in PF were further discussed. This review hopes that revealing the inhibiting effects of CHM on TGF-[Formula: see text]1-mediated cellular processes of PF can promote CHM to be better understood and utilized, thus transforming the therapeutic activities of CHM into practice.
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Prevention and treatment of COVID-19 using Traditional Chinese Medicine: A review.
Zhao, Z, Li, Y, Zhou, L, Zhou, X, Xie, B, Zhang, W, Sun, J
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2021;:153308
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BACKGROUND A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) outbreak in more than 200 countries recently caused viral pneumonia that was extremely infectious and pathogenic. The Chinese government proposes that both Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine can be used in combination to treat pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV2, and TCM effectively provides continuous prevention and treatment. METHODS The present review analyzes and summarizes the prevention and treatment of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with TCM. A classified analysis of the efficacy and advantages of TCM for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 was performed, and the mechanisms of TCM in treating COVID-19 are summarized. RESULTS TCM is effective in preventing COVID-19, and medical staff can prevent an iatrogenic infection by taking a decoction made based on the principles of TCM. As of March 13, 2020, new cases of COVID-19 in China have decreased in number to single digits. TCM's curative effect was outstanding, with a national participation rate of over 90%. More than 70,000 people were cured of COVID-19 and discharged from the hospital. Only approximately 10,000 patients are currently being treated, and the total treatment time is approximately 2 months. CONCLUSIONS TCM is currently the best choice for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, and it is expected that it will be promoted by countries around the world.
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Research Progress in Chinese Herbal Medicines for Treatment of Sepsis: Pharmacological Action, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacokinetics.
Cheng, C, Yu, X
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(20)
Abstract
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection; the pathophysiology of sepsis is complex. The incidence of sepsis is steadily increasing, with worldwide mortality ranging between 30% and 50%. Current treatment approaches mainly rely on the timely and appropriate administration of antimicrobials and supportive therapies, but the search for pharmacotherapies modulating the host response has been unsuccessful. Chinese herbal medicines, i.e., Chinese patent medicines, Chinese herbal prescriptions, and single Chinese herbs, play an important role in the treatment of sepsis through multicomponent, multipathway, and multitargeting abilities and have been officially recommended for the management of COVID-19. Chinese herbal medicines have therapeutic actions promising for the treatment of sepsis; basic scientific research on these medicines is increasing. However, the material bases of most Chinese herbal medicines and their underlying mechanisms of action have not yet been fully elucidated. This review summarizes the current studies of Chinese herbal medicines used for the treatment of sepsis in terms of clinical efficacy and safety, pharmacological activity, phytochemistry, bioactive constituents, mechanisms of action, and pharmacokinetics, to provide an important foundation for clarifying the pathogenesis of sepsis and developing novel antisepsis drugs based on Chinese herbal medicines.
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Therapeutic options of TCM for organ injuries associated with COVID-19 and the underlying mechanism.
Zhang, JL, Li, WX, Li, Y, Wong, MS, Wang, YJ, Zhang, Y
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2021;:153297
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BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by infection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading rapidly throughout China and in other countries since the end of 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the epidemic is a public health emergency of international concerns. The timely and appropriate measures for treating COVID-19 in China, which are inseparable from the contribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have won much praise of the world. PURPOSE This review aimed to summarize and discuss the essential role of TCM in protecting tissues from injuries associated with COVID-19, and accordingly to clarify the possible action mechanisms of TCM from the perspectives of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects. METHODS Electronic databases such as Pubmed, ResearchGate, Science Direct, Web of Science, medRixv and Wiley were used to search scientific literatures. RESULTS The present review found that traditional Chinese herbs commonly used for the clinical treatment of organ damages caused by COVID-19, such as Scutellaria baicalensis, Salvia miltiorrhizaSalvia miltiorrhiza, and ginseng, could act on multiple signaling pathways involved in inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis. CONCLUSION TCM could protect COVID-19 patients from tissue injuries, a protection that might be, at least partially, attributed to the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of the TCM under investigation. This review provides evidence and support for clinical treatment and novel drug research using TCM.
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Contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to the treatment of COVID-19.
Wang, WY, Xie, Y, Zhou, H, Liu, L
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2021;:153279
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COVID-19 as an epidemic disease has spread across the planet since December 2019. The somber situation reminds each country to take actions in preventing the spreading of the virus. China as one of the early affected countries has been fighting against the novel coronavirus with the achievements of nearly 80,000 cured confirmed patients. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has made contributions to the treatment of COVID-19 because of its efficacy and comprehensive therapeutic theory. In this commentary, the advantage, etiology and mechanism of TCM therapy were discussed in the aspect of its functions in reducing the harms brought by COVID-19 to human beings.
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Updated pharmacological effects of Lonicerae japonicae flos, with a focus on its potential efficacy on coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
Zhao, H, Zeng, S, Chen, L, Sun, Q, Liu, M, Yang, H, Ren, S, Ming, T, Meng, X, Xu, H
Current opinion in pharmacology. 2021;:200-207
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Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF), known as Jin Yin Hua in Chinese, is one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese herbs and nutraceuticals. Nowadays, LJF is broadly applied in an array of afflictions, such as fever, sore throat, flu infection, cough, and arthritis, with the action mechanism to be elucidated. Here, we strove to summarize the main phytochemical components of LJF and review its updated pharmacological effects, including inhibition of inflammation, pyrexia, viruses, and bacteria, immunoregulation, and protection of the liver, nervous system, and heart, with a focus on the potential efficacy of LJF on coronavirus disease-2019 based on network pharmacology so as to fully underpin the utilization of LJF as a medicinal herb and a favorable nutraceutical in daily life.
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Current State of Research About Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) for the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Scoping Review.
López-Alcalde, J, Yan, Y, Witt, CM, Barth, J
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). 2020;(7):557-570
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Background: There is currently no effective treatment against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The optimal selection of interventions targeting the virus is unknown. Therefore, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to support specific treatment against COVID-19 is urgently needed. The use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) might have a role in the treatment and symptomatic management of patients with COVID-19. It was aimed at providing an overview of the available evidence and ongoing trials concerning the effects of CHMs for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: This is a narrative review of relevant studies. Searches were conducted to identify documents published till April 22, 2020. Electronic databases, evidence-based collections, websites of relevant organizations, and trial registries were consulted. Results: A total of 25 guidelines on the treatment of patients with COVID-19 were identified. Four guidelines provided recommendations on the use of CHMs; these guidelines were developed in China and South Korea and were based on the consensus of experts exclusively. The remaining 21 guidelines provided no guidance on CHMs. No finished RCTs of CHMs for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 was found. According to the evidence evaluated in this review, a Cochrane review of CHMs for severe acute respiratory syndrome and five uncontrolled observational studies of the effects of CHMs in patients with COVID-19, the effects of CHMs for COVID-19 are unknown. A total of 52 ongoing clinical trials of CHM interventions for the treatment of COVID-19 were found. These trials will be carried out mostly in China (n = 51). Forty (77%) of the ongoing trials will be randomized, whereas 12 (23%) have an unclear sequence generation procedure. Forty-seven trials (90%) will have a sample size <400 participants. Conclusions: To the authors' knowledge, only the Chinese and the South Korean guidelines recommend CHMs as a treatment option for patients with COVID-19. These guidelines base their recommendations on the consensus of experts. Clinical guidelines or health authorities from other countries do not provide advice on CHMs. Due to the absence of RCT, there is currently no reliable evidence on the effects of any specific CHM intervention for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. A high number of clinical trials of different herbal products are being currently conducted in China.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective.
Yang, Y, Islam, MS, Wang, J, Li, Y, Chen, X
International journal of biological sciences. 2020;(10):1708-1717
Abstract
Currently, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, formerly known as 2019-nCoV, the causative pathogen of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)) has rapidly spread across China and around the world, causing an outbreak of acute infectious pneumonia. No specific anti-virus drugs or vaccines are available for the treatment of this sudden and lethal disease. The supportive care and non-specific treatment to ameliorate the symptoms of the patient are the only options currently. At the top of these conventional therapies, greater than 85% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in China are receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment. In this article, relevant published literatures are thoroughly reviewed and current applications of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19 patients are analyzed. Due to the homology in epidemiology, genomics, and pathogenesis of the SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, and the widely use of TCM in the treatment of SARS-CoV, the clinical evidence showing the beneficial effect of TCM in the treatment of patients with SARS coronaviral infections are discussed. Current experiment studies that provide an insight into the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of TCM, and those studies identified novel naturally occurring compounds with anti-coronaviral activity are also introduced.
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Interpretation of the Traditional Chinese Medicine portion of the diagnosis and treatment protocol for corona virus disease 2019 (Trial Version 7).
Song, P, Zhao, L, Li, X, Su, J, Jiang, Z, Song, B, Liu, W, Tang, S, Lei, Y, Ding, Q, et al
Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan. 2020;(3):497-508
Abstract
The TCM protocol in the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Trial Version 7) has been updated from previous versions. The protocol was formulated under the direct leadership of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, based on the experience of a panel of experts, supported by evidence from fever clinics and from the outcomes of emergency (EM) observation rooms and inpatients throughout China (especially in Wuhan, Hubei Province) in combination with the latest scientific research results and data. The present interpretation of the TCM protocol is based on an overall understanding of the revised content, and aims to guide and standardize its clinical application to provide a reference for clinicians.