Targeting intestinal microecology: potential intervention strategies of traditional Chinese medicine for managing hypertension

Zhihua Yang; Shanshan Lin; Yangxi Liu; Zhihui Song; Zhao Ge; Yujian Fan; Lu Chen; Yingfei Bi; Zhiqiang Zhao; Xianliang Wang; Yi Wang; Jingyuan Mao

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1171119

Targeting intestinal microecology: potential intervention strategies of traditional Chinese medicine for managing hypertension

Front Pharmacol. 2023 May 31:14:1171119. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1171119. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhihua Yang^{1

2}, Shanshan Lin¹, Yangxi Liu¹, Zhihui Song², Zhao Ge¹, Yujian Fan¹, Lu Chen², Yingfei Bi¹, Zhiqiang Zhao¹, Xianliang Wang¹, Yi Wang², Jingyuan Mao¹

Affiliations

¹ First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China.
² Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.

Abstract

Hypertension has become one of the major public health problems in the world. At present, the pathogenesis of hypertension has still not been completely elucidated. In recent years, an increasing evidence shows that intestinal microecology is closely related to hypertension, which provides a new thinking for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique advantages in the treatment of hypertension. Taking intestinal microecology as the target, it is possible to interpreting the scientific connotation of TCM prevention and treatment of hypertension by updating the treatment concept of hypertension, so as to improve the therapeutic effect. In our study, the clinical evidence for TCM treatment of hypertension was systematicly summarized. And the relationship among TCM, intestinal microecology and hypertension was analyzed. In addition, the methods by which TCM regulates intestinal microecology to prevent and treat hypertension were presented, to provide new research ideas for prevention and treatment of hypertension.

Keywords: gut barrier; gut microbiota; hypertension; intestinal microecology; short chain fatty acids; traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No: ZYYCXTD-C-202203), the “Innovation Team Development Plan” of the Ministry of Education-Research on the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine (No: IRT_16R54).