Search

Objectives Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardio-cerebral vascular diseases, which brings a heavy economic burden to society and becomes a major public health problem. At present, the pathogenesis of hypertension is unclear. Increasing evidence has proven that the pathogenesis of hypertension is closely related to the dysbiosis of gut microbiota. We briefly reviewed relevant literature on gut microbiota and hypertension to summarize the relationship between gut microbiota and hypertension, linked the antihypertension effects of drugs with their modulation on gut microbiota, and discussed the potential mechanisms of various gut microbes and their active metabolites to alleviate hypertension, thus providing new research ideas for the development of antihypertension drugs. Methods The relevant literature was collected systematically from scientific database, including Elsevier, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Baidu Scholar, as well as other literature sources, such as classic books of herbal medicine. Results Hypertension can lead to gut microbiota imbalance and gut barrier dysfunction, including increased harmful bacteria and hydrogen sulfide and lipopolysaccharide, decreased beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids, decreased intestinal tight junction proteins and increased intestinal permeability. Gut microbiota imbalance is closely related to the occurrence and development of hypertension. At present, the main methods to regulate the gut microbiota include fecal microbiota transplantation, supplementation of probiotics, antibiotics, diet and exercise, antihypertensive drugs, and natural medicines. Conclusions Gut microbiota is closely related to hypertension. Investigating the correlation between gut microbiota and hypertension may help to reveal the pathogenesis of hypertension from the perspective of gut microbiota, which is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

GuHong injection is composed of safflower and N-acetyl-L-glutamine. It is widely used in clinical for cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemic stroke and related diseases. The objective of this review is to comprehensively summarize the most recent information related to GuHong in the treatment of stroke, including chemical composition, clinical studies, potential pharmacological mechanisms and pharmacokinetics. Additionally, it examines possible scientific gaps in current study and aims to provide a reliable reference for future GuHong studies. The systematic review reveals that the chemical composition of safflower in GuHong is more than 300 chemical components in five categories. GuHong injection is primarily used in clinical applications for acute ischemic stroke and related diseases. Pharmacological investigations have indicated that GuHong acts in the early and recovery stages of ischemic stroke by anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, anti-coagulation, neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic mechanisms simultaneously. Pharmacokinetic studies found that the main exposed substances in rat plasma after GuHong administration are hydroxysafflor yellow A and N-acetyl-L-glutamine, and N-acetyl-L-glutamine could exert its pharmacological effect across the blood-brain barrier. As a combination of Chinese herb and chemical drug, GuHong injection has great value in drug research and clinical treatment, especially for ischemic stroke disease. This article represents a comprehensive and systematic review of existing studies on GuHong injection, including chemical composition, pharmacological mechanism, and pharmacokinetics, which provides reference significance for the clinical treatment of ischemic stroke with GuHong, as well as provides guidance for further study.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a high-risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular events. Due to its complex aetiology and concealability, knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanism of CMD is still limited at present, which greatly restricts its clinical diagnosis and treatment. Studies have shown that CMD is closely related to a variety of cardiovascular diseases, can aggravate the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases, and is closely related to a poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Improving coronary microvascular remodelling and increasing myocardial perfusion might be promising strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the pathogenesis and functional assessment of CMD are reviewed first, along with the relationship of CMD with cardiovascular diseases. Then, the latest strategies for the treatment of CMD and cardiovascular diseases are summarized. Finally, urgent scientific problems in CMD and cardiovascular diseases are highlighted and future research directions are proposed to provide prospective insights for the prevention and treatment of CMD and cardiovascular diseases in the future.