Role of Spleen Failing to Disperse Essence-induced Macrophage Pyroptosis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20252168
- VernacularTitle:“脾不散精-巨噬细胞焦亡”机制在慢性阻塞性肺疾病中的作用及中医药干预研究进展
- Author:
Leiming MAO
1
;
Gongzhen CHEN
1
;
Tong YANG
1
;
Genyan LIU
1
;
Xingli SUN
2
;
Jiangqin OU
2
Author Information
1. Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM），Guiyang 550025，China
2. The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of TCM，Guiyang 550001，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
spleen failing to disperse essence;
macrophage pyroptosis;
traditional Chinese medicine;
inflammatory mechanisms;
nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB）;
NOD-like receptor protein 3（NLRP3）
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(11):312-322
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD）， characterized primarily by persistent airflow limitation and chronic airway inflammation， is a major chronic respiratory disease with persistently high morbidity and mortality. In recent years， macrophage pyroptosis， as an inflammatory form of programmed cell death， has been recognized as playing a key role in amplifying inflammatory responses and promoting tissue damage. According to traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） theory， spleen failing to disperse essence constitutes an important pathological basis for various chronic diseases， clinically manifesting as impaired transportation and transformation， internal generation of phlegm-dampness， and accumulation of turbid toxins. Based on a review of classical TCM pathogenesis and modern molecular biological research， this study proposes that there may be a correlation between spleen failing to disperse essence and macrophage pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of COPD. Specifically， metabolic and immune disturbances such as glucotoxicity， lipotoxicity， and enterotoxicity may trigger macrophage pyroptosis through the advanced glycation end products（AGEs）/AGEs receptor（RAGE）/reactive oxygen species（ROS）， fatty acids/Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）， and lipopolysaccharide（LPS）/nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB）/NOD-like receptor protein 3（NLRP3） signaling pathways. Excessive pyroptosis， in turn， exacerbates metabolic dysregulation and inflammatory responses， forming a vicious cycle. Furthermore， TCM interventions such as strengthening the spleen and tonifying Qi， as well as resolving dampness and detoxifying， have demonstrated potential in modulating pyroptosis-related signaling pathways， including NF-κB， the NLRP3 inflammasome， and autophagy. In summary， this article explores the role of spleen failing to disperse essence-macrophage pyroptosis mechanism in COPD and highlights possible therapeutic strategies of TCM， providing new insights for integrated Chinese and western medical research and clinical practice.
