This article focused on summarization of the available new screening technology for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) new drug, including high throughput screening (HTS), biological chip, molecular biological chro-matography, high content screening (HCS), network pharmacology, proteomics, and computer-aided drug design (CADD). And in this review, one example that we applied CADD technology (such as molecular docking, pharma-cophore and molecular similarity) in lipid-lowering TCM new drug development was given. Based on the mechanism of lipid metabolism, CADD technology provided a good method on the prescription optimization and mechanism study. In addition, TCM new drug development proposal which displayed in this paper may provide a useful strategy for screening of TCM new drug.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of macrophage foaming by Yinlan Tianzhi formula (YLTZ) and to explain its effects on lipid-induced inflammation and LXRα-ABCA1 signal pathway. Methods: The model of macrophage foaming was induced by incubating the RAW264.7 cells or BMMs with ox-LDL (50 mg·L-1). The serum containing YLTZ was prepared. The cells were divided into blank group, model group, and drug group. After drug intervention, MTT method was used to detect cell proliferation. The lipid accumulation in cells was observed by oil red O staining, and GPO-PAP method was used to determine the total cholesterol content in cells. Protein and mRNA levels were determined by Western blot and RT- qPCR. Results: Compared with control group, after YLTZ treatment, the lipid level was significantly decreased, and the level of mRNA and protein of LXRα and ABCA1 were significant increased. The expression of inflammatory factor COX2 and iNOS was significantly decreased. Conclusion: YLTZ inhibits macrophage foaming through enhancing LXRα-ABCA1 pathway and suppressing of inflammatory response.