Investigating the mechanism of Rehmannia glutinosa-Ephedra sinica in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by network pharmacology, metabolomics and experimental validation.
Cao Y, Li S, Zhang Y, He M, Shen Y
Medicinal Plants
Rehmannia, the waxy-leafed, crimson-flowered plant sold at Chinese herb markets and grown as a perennial ornamental in mild-climate gardens, just had its centuries-old reputation as a heart and kidney tonic confirmed in a controlled laboratory study.
Researchers tested a pair of herbs long used in Chinese medicine — Chinese foxglove and ma huang — on mice with a type of heart failure where the heart muscle stiffens and can't fill properly. The herbs reduced fat buildup and oxidative damage in heart cells and helped the heart pump more normally. Scientists traced the benefit to two specific biological switches the herbs appear to flip: one that promotes cell survival, and one that prevents a damaging form of cell death triggered by iron and rancid fats.
Key Findings
The Rehmannia + Ephedra combination improved diastolic function and reduced cardiac remodeling in HFpEF mice induced by high-fat diet plus a nitric oxide blocker.
Mechanistic analysis via network pharmacology and metabolomics pinpointed lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis (iron-dependent cell death) as central targets, mediated through the PI3K/AKT and GPX4/ACSL4 pathways.
In cell culture, herb-treated serum protected heart cells from palmitic acid-induced metabolic dysfunction and ferroptosis, with effects partially reversed by pathway inhibitors LY294002 and RSL3.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A study found that combining two traditional Chinese medicinal herbs — Rehmannia glutinosa and Ephedra sinica — improves heart function in mice with a common form of heart failure, and identified the biological pathways responsible, including protection against a type of iron-driven cell death called ferroptosis.
Abstract Preview
Rehmannia glutinosa and Ephedra sinica (MD), herbs from the classical formula Yanghe Decoction, have been used to nourish yin, enrich blood and promote diuresis. Their traditional indications, whic...
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