Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from the turmeric, has received attention as a potential treatment for renal fibrosis primarily because it is a relatively safe and inexpensive compound that contributes to kidney health. Here, we review the literatures on the applications of curcumin in resolving renal fibrosis in animal models and summarize the mechanisms of curcumin and its analogs (C66 and (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(2-bromophenyl) penta-1,4-dien-3-one(B06)) in preventing inflammatory molecules release and reducing the deposition of extracellular matrix at the priming and activation stage of renal fibrosis in animal models by consulting PubMed and Cnki databases over the past 15 years. Curcumin exerts antifibrotic effect through reducing inflammation related factors (MCP-1, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and cav-1) and inducing the expression of anti-inflammation factors (HO-1, M6PRBP1, and NEDD4) as well as targeting TGF-β/Smads, MAPK/ERK, and PPAR-γ pathways in animal models. As a food derived compound, curcumin is becoming a promising drug candidate for improving renal health.

Background/Aim: Recent studies have demonstrated that circulating fibrocytes contribute to the formation and development of fibrosis. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound isolated from turmeric, has been shown to have anti-fibrotic effects in various organs. We and others have demonstrated that curcumin beneficially affects the development of fibrosis. However the effect of curcumin on circulating fibrocytes has not been reported. Methods: Human circulating fibrocytes were isolated from leukocyte concentrates of healthy human donors and identified based on the expression of CD34, CD45, collagen I (COLI), and chemokine receptor CCR7 (CCR7) via flow cytometry. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to evaluate cell viability. The effect of curcumin on the differentiation and migration of human circulating fibrocytes was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry and a transwell migration assay. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 secretion was examined by ELISA. Results: Curcumin treatment (72 h; 20 μM) significantly decreased the expression of COL I, α-SMA and CCR7, as well as TGF-βl secretion, in human circulating fibrocytes. The inhibitory effect of curcumin on the differentiation and migration of human circulating fibrocytes is likely via regulating the CCR7/CCL21 signaling pathway, in particular by reducing CCR7 expression. These observed effects may be beneficial in resolving fibrosis by suppressing TGF-β1 secretion. Conclusion: Our results suggest that curcumin has the potential to suppress the differentiation and migration of circulating fibrocytes, which would provide new explanation for curcumin's application in the development of fibrosis in various organs.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-enclosed nanoparticles that mediate intercellular communication and hold significant promise as therapeutic agents, drug delivery vehicles, and biomarkers. This review systematically explores the bidirectional interplay between EVs and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). We first summarize the unique bioactivity and therapeutic potential of Chinese herbal medicine-derived EVs (CHM-EVs), which retain plant-specific components and demonstrate anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and tissue-protective effects. We critically expand the scope beyond the prevailing discourse on EVs' intrinsic mechanisms to investigate two significant emerging paradigms We examine EVs as innovative delivery platforms for TCM bioactive compounds, demonstrating how EVs enhance solubility, stability, and targeted delivery of challenging components to amplify therapeutic efficacy. Concurrently, we explore how TCM itself modulates endogenous EVs. Active ingredients within TCM formulations exert therapeutic effects by regulating host EV biogenesis, secretion, cargo composition, and bioactivity, as evidenced in diseases ranging from nephropathy to inflammation. We further evaluate challenges in CHM-EVs standardization (isolation, characterization, nomenclature), biosafety, and clinical translation. By integrating these perspectives, this review provides a panoramic overview of how EVs bridge TCM theory with modern mechanistic research, offering innovative strategies for advancing TCM modernization and EV-based therapeutics.

Background: Chinese medicine syndromes (Zheng) in many disease models are not clearly characterized or validated, and the concepts of Chinese medicine syndromes are confounding and controversial. Metabonomics has been applied to the evaluation and classification of the Chinese medicine syndromes both in clinical and nonclinical studies. In this study, we aim to investigate the evolution of the Chinese medicine syndrome in myocardial infarction induced heart failure and to confirm the feasibility of the Zheng classification by plasma metabonomics in a syndrome and disease combination animal model. Methods: The heart failure (HF) model was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in Sprague–Dawley rats. The rats were divided into the following two groups: the HF model group (LAD ligation) and the sham operated group. GC-MS was used with pattern recognition technology and principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze the plasma samples at 4, 21 and 45 day after operation. Results: It was determined that the period from 7 to 28 days was the stable time window of ischemic heart failure with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome (QDBS), and the qi deficiency syndrome occurred at 1 to 4 days and 45 to 60 days after operation. The results exhibited 5 plasma metabolite changes in the same trend at 4 and 21 day after the LAD operation, 7 at 21 and 45 day, and 2 at 4 and 45 day. No metabolite showed the same change at all of the 3 time points. At day 21 (the QDBS syndrome time point) after operation, 4 plasma metabolites showed the same trends with the results of our previous study on patients with the blood stasis syndrome. Conclusions: The syndrome diagnosis is reliable in the HF rat model in this study. Plasma metabolites can provide a basis for the evaluation of Chinese medicine syndrome animal models.