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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1379058

Ferroptosis: A new mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine for treating ulcerative colitis

Provisionally accepted
Yingyi Wang Yingyi Wang 1*Yanwei Hao Yanwei Hao 2*Lingling Yuan Lingling Yuan 1*Huaie Tian Huaie Tian 1*Xuhui Sun Xuhui Sun 1*Yi Zhang Yi Zhang 1*
  • 1 Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
  • 2 Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Ulcerative colitis (UC), a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease, manifests with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and mucopurulent, bloody stools. The pathogenesis of UC is not fully understood. At present, the incidence of UC has increased significantly around the world. Conventional therapeutic arsenals are relatively limited, with often poor efficacy and many adverse effects. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) holds promise due to their notable effectiveness, reduced recurrence rates, and minimal side effects. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the basic research on TCM for UC treatment. It has been found that the inhibition of ferroptosis through the intervention of TCM can significantly promote intestinal mucosal healing and reverse UC. The mechanism of action involves multiple targets and pathways.Aim of the review:This review summarizes the experimental studies on the targeted regulation of ferroptosis by TCM and its impact on UC in recent years, aiming to provide theoretical basis for the prevention, treatment, and further drug development for UC.Results: Ferroptosis disrupts antioxidant mechanisms in intestinal epithelial cells, damages the intestinal mucosa, and participates in the pathological process of UC. TCM acts on various pathways such as Nrf2/HO-1 and GSH/GPX4, blocking the pathological progression of ferroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells, inhibiting pathological damage to the intestinal mucosa, and thereby alleviating UC.The diverse array of TCM single herbs, extracts and herbal formulas facilitates selective and innovative research and development of new TCM methods for targeting UC treatment. Although progress has been made in studying TCM compound formulas, single herbs, and extracts, there are still many issues in clinical and basic experimental designs, necessitating further in-depth scientific exploration and research.

    Keywords: Traditional Chinese Medicine, ulcerative colitis, ferroptosis, Experi-mental studies, Signalling pathway Abbreviations FTH1, Ferritin Heavy Chain 1, Glu, glutamate, GPX4, Glutathione peroxidase 4, GSH, Glutathion

    Received: 30 Jan 2024; Accepted: 14 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Hao, Yuan, Tian, Sun and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yingyi Wang, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Yanwei Hao, Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
    Lingling Yuan, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Huaie Tian, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Xuhui Sun, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Yi Zhang, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.