Traditional Chinese Medicine Promotes Neoangiogenesis in Treatment of Vascular Dementia by Benefiting Qi， Activating Blood Circulation， and Resolving Blood Stasis： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20251221
- VernacularTitle:益气活血化瘀治法促进新血管生成治疗血管性痴呆的中医药研究进展
- Author:
Zhenlong ZHOU
1
;
Yu DUAN
2
;
Hongyu SHA
3
;
Haichun ZHOU
1
Author Information
1. The Second Clinical Medical College， Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine， Harbin 150036，China
2. Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine， Jinan 250300，China
3. Shanghai Haijiang Geriatric Hospital， Shanghai 200080，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
neoangiogenesis;
vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway;
benefiting Qi， activating blood circulation， and resolving blood stasis;
vascular dementia;
traditional Chinese medicine
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(9):318-328
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Vascular dementia （VaD） is a cognitive dysfunction syndrome caused by cerebrovascular disease and is the second most common type of dementia worldwide， following Alzheimer's disease. The pathological mechanisms of VaD are complex， involving multiple biological processes， including angiogenesis， neuroinflammation， apoptosis， and oxidative stress. Among these， angiogenesis is a key process in VaD pathology and is primarily regulated through the vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has gradually gained attention in the treatment of VaD， particularly the therapeutic approach of benefiting Qi， activating blood circulation， and resolving blood stasis， which has demonstrated unique advantages in clinical practice. This method， based on the TCM theory of Qi and blood， emphasizes improving the pathological state of ''blood stasis'' by harmonizing the circulation of Qi and blood， and its scientific basis has been increasingly elucidated by modern pharmacological studies. This article systematically integrates the TCM concept of ''removing stasis to promote regeneration'' with the modern medical mechanism of neoangiogenesis and reviews the current research on promoting neoangiogenesis through the benefiting Qi， activating blood circulation， and resolving blood stasis in VaD treatment. It covers research progress on single Chinese medicine and compound formulas that promote neoangiogenesis， reduce apoptosis， and improve cerebral hemodynamics through multi-target and multi-pathway synergistic effects. Furthermore， this article explores the therapeutic approach of combining acupuncture and moxibustion with Chinese medicine formulas， breaking through the traditional single-treatment model. The synergistic treatment of acupuncture and herbal medicine not only enhances neoangiogenesis but also improves cognitive function and quality of life in VaD patients via multiple pathways. By comparing the advantages and limitations of modern medicine and TCM in VaD treatment， this article notes that while modern medicine excels in elucidating pathological mechanisms and targeted therapies， it is limited in overall regulation and multi-target interventions. TCM， through the comprehensive effects of multiple components and targets， is better suited to address the complex pathological features of VaD. However， current research on TCM for VaD still has limitations， including incompletely clarified mechanisms and insufficient clinical studies. Therefore， future research should further integrate multidisciplinary approaches， such as modern pharmacology and molecular biology， to deeply explore TCM resources and investigate diverse interdisciplinary collaborative treatment models， providing new ideas and strategies for VaD therapy.
