Research progress on action mechanism of leech in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
WANG Yi1 LIU Jinying2 LIU Shuquan1
1.Apoplexy Clinic, the Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110101, China;
2.College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Abstract:As the death rate of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCDs) increasingly rises in recent years, the traditional Chinese medicine has been playing a crucial role in the treatment of CCDs. The main components of leech include hirudin, bufrudin, hirudo hyaluronidase. With deeper insight into the clinical efficacy of leeches, which gradually shows its advantages in the treatment of CCDs, the research of the mechanism of leeches has become a hotspot. Leeches, active components of leeches and its preparations can help treat cardiovascular diseases in terms of diverse mechanisms: resistance of inflammatory reaction, inhibition of smooth muscle cells, regulation of autophagy, resistance of oxidation etc. Meanwhile, these components also do good in curing cerebrovascular diseases mainly by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting vascular endothelial injury, reducing platelet activation, resisting apoptosis and inflammatory reaction. This paper makes a review about the research at home and abroad in recent years about the mechanisms of leech in treating CCDs, which aims to provide a useful reference for clinical research and application of leeches, as well as propose the application foundation for the theory of “synchronized treatment on heart and brain” in common treatment of different diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.
王懿1 刘金瑛2 刘树权1. 水蛭治疗心脑血管疾病作用机制的研究进展[J]. 中国医药导报, 2021, 18(7): 47-50.
WANG Yi1 LIU Jinying2 LIU Shuquan1. Research progress on action mechanism of leech in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. 中国医药导报, 2021, 18(7): 47-50.