Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Dec;62(1):529-543.
doi: 10.1080/13880209.2024.2369292. Epub 2024 Jun 26.

Clinical observations and mechanistic insights of traditional Chinese medicine in the management of diabetic retinopathy

Jie Chen  1 , Yadong Ni  1 , Wenhui Yao  1 , Xuansheng Ding  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Clinical observations and mechanistic insights of traditional Chinese medicine in the management of diabetic retinopathy

Jie Chen et al. Pharm Biol. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Context: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness among diabetic patients globally. Despite advancements in conventional treatments, the quest for more holistic approaches and fewer side effects persists. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for centuries in managing various diseases, including diabetes and its complications.

Objective: This review evaluated the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of TCM in the management of DR, providing information on its potential integration with conventional treatment methods.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) with the search terms 'traditional Chinese medicine', 'diabetic retinopathy', 'clinical efficacies' and their combinations. Studies published before 2023 without language restriction were included, focusing on clinical trials and observational studies that assessed the effectiveness of TCM in DR treatment.

Results: The review synthesized evidence of empirical traditional Chinese formulas, traditional Chinese patent medicines, and isolated phytochemicals on DR treatment. The key mechanisms identified included the reduction of oxidative stress, inflammation, and neovascularization, as well as the improvement in neurovascular functionality and integrity of the retinal blood barrier.

Conclusions: TCM shows promising potential to manage DR. More large-scale, randomized controlled trials are recommended to validate these findings and facilitate the integration of TCM into mainstream DR treatment protocols.

Keywords: Chinese herb; blood-retinal barrier; diabetic microvascular complication; inflammation; neovascularization; neuroprotection; oxidative stress.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Scheme illustrating the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) on diabetic retinopathy and its representative TCMs. (A) The BRB consists of two parts, the inner BRB (iBRB) and the outer BRB (oBRB) that together regulate the exchange of substances between the retina and the systemic circulation. In addition, the components involved in the therapeutic mechanism of DR are annotated in the figure, including RGCs (G), Müller cells (M), RPEs and TJs. (B) Magnified cross-sectional view of the retinal vessel mainly constituents of the iBRB, including RCECs, Pericyte (P) and TJs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Ai X, Yu P, Luo L, Sun J, Tao H, Wang X, Meng X.. 2022. Berberis dictyophylla inhibits angiogenesis and apoptosis of diabetic retinopathy via suppressing HIF-1α/VEGF/DLL-4/Notch-1 pathway. J Ethnopharmacol. 296:115453. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115453. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Asahara T, Bauters C, Zheng LP, Takeshita S, Bunting S, Ferrara N, Symes JF, Isner JM.. 1995. Synergistic effect of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor on angiogenesis in vivo. Circulation. 92(9 Suppl):II365–371. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.92.9.365. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beltramo E, Porta M.. 2013. Pericyte loss in diabetic retinopathy: mechanisms and consequences. Curr Med Chem. 20(26):3218–3225. doi: 10.2174/09298673113209990022. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cai Y, Tu H, Wu C, Liu T, Chen S, Shen L, Xiao Q, Zhao S, Xu S, Lin W, et al. . 2024. Therapeutic potential of elema-1,3,7(11),8-tetraen-8,12-lactam from Curcuma wenyujin on diabetic retinopathy via anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic pathways. J Ethnopharmacol. 318(Pt A):116843. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116843. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chen F. 2023. Effectiveness and mechanism analysis of Qi-Ming Granules combined with calcium hydroxybenzenesulfonate in the treatment of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Practical Clin J Integrated Trad Chinese Western Med. 23:18–21. (Chinese)

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.