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Tongmai Yangxin pill mitigates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by improving mitochondrial function and mitophagy: A potential role of estrogen receptor alpha and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1/Parkin pathway.

Yu L, Liu S, Wang X, Liu X, Wang S

Traditional Medicine

PubMed

It suggests that plant-based traditional medicines contain compounds that interact with fundamental cellular repair processes — the same pathways researchers are targeting with modern drugs — offering a bridge between herbal remedies and evidence-based cardiology.

When a heart attack is treated by restoring blood flow, the sudden return of oxygen can paradoxically cause additional cell damage. Researchers found that a Chinese herbal pill made from multiple plant ingredients helps heart cells survive this insult by activating a kind of 'cellular housekeeping' process that removes damaged internal power generators. The herbal formula appears to work through a specific protein that normally responds to estrogen, revealing an unexpected molecular link between plant compounds and heart cell survival.

Key Findings

1

148 distinct chemical compounds from the herbal formula were identified in blood and tissue samples after administration

2

Silencing the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) gene in heart cells completely abolished the protective effects of the herbal treatment, confirming it as a critical target

3

TMYX reduced myocardial fibrosis and oxidative stress in rats with simulated heart attack injury by restoring mitochondrial recycling (mitophagy) balance via the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway

chevron_right Technical Summary

A traditional Chinese herbal medicine called Tongmai Yangxin pill (TMYX) was found to protect heart tissue from damage caused by blocked-then-restored blood flow by improving how heart cells clean up and recycle damaged cellular components.

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Abstract Preview

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI) is a common complication of acute myocardial infarction, with significant effects on clinical outcomes. Tongmai Yangxin pill (TMYX), a traditional Chi...

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