Regulation of Constipation-related Signaling Pathways by Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20240926
- VernacularTitle:中药调控便秘相关信号通路的研究进展
- Author:
Yong LIANG
1
;
Bin GE
1
;
Yu SHI
2
;
Yang ZHANG
2
;
Hongxi ZHANG
2
Author Information
1. Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM）， Shenyang 110847， China
2. The Third Hospital of Liaoning University of TCM， Shenyang110003， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
traditional Chinese medicine;
constipation;
signaling pathway;
mechanism;
research progress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2024;30(20):230-240
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Chronic constipation （CC） is one of the common and frequent functional gastrointestinal diseases in clinic. At present， the overall therapeutic effect of CC is still not satisfactory in China and abroad， which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. The pathophysiological mechanism of constipation has not been fully elucidated， and studies have mainly focused on the dysfunction of the enteric nervous system （ENS）， abnormalities of Cajal interstitial cells （ICCs）， alterations in mucosal immune function （low-grade intestinal inflammation， intestinal barrier damage， and immune activation）， abnormalities of gastrointestinal hormones， dysregulation of intestinal flora， and dysfunctions of intestinal dynamics. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is a unique and precious resource in China with good efficacy and safety. TCM and its active ingredients can effectively treat constipation， and its mechanism of action needs to be further investigated. Signaling pathways are involved in the development of constipation， which is one of the main targets in the study of pathological mechanisms of constipation and the pharmacological study of therapeutic drugs. Therefore， the authors searched PubMed， China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， and other literature databases with the keywords of ''constipation''， ''signaling pathway''， and ''traditional Chinese medicine'' to systematically summarize the signaling pathways related to constipation regulated by TCM. The comprehensive analysis shows that TCM mainly plays a role in regulating autophagy， apoptosis， and proliferation and ensuring anti-oxidative stress， anti-inflammation， and protection of intestinal barrier of ICCs by modulating signaling pathways such as stem cell factor/tyrosine kinase receptor （SCF/c-kit）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， 5-hydroxytryptophan （5-HT）， mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPK）， and Toll-like receptors （TLRs）. TCM regulates neurotransmitter secretion and intestinal water metabolism to improve constipation. This demonstrates the advantages of multi-level， multi-target， and multi-level effects of TCM， and in-depth research can provide new ideas for exploring the pathogenesis of constipation and developing new drugs.
