ABSTRACT
Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a commonly seen digestive system disease with unclear pathogenesis. The condition is complex and variable， often chronic， and has a long treatment period with no specific cure. Currently， the treatment of UC often involves the use of corticosteroids， aminosalicylates， and biologics in western medicine， which provide fast-acting and definite efficacy in the short term. However， with prolonged medication， some patients may develop drug resistance and worsening of the disease， leading to the occurrence of colon cancer. Research has found that oxidative stress is one of the important pathogenic factors in UC and influences its onset and development. Oxidative stress is a state of imbalance between oxidative products and the antioxidant system in the body， characterized by overexpression of oxidative products such as malondialdehyde （MDA）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， nitric oxide （NO）， or deficiency of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase （SOD）， catalase （CAT）， and glutathione （GSH）. It is worth noting that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， as a unique characteristic medicine of China， has achieved significant efficacy in the treatment of UC. Studies have shown that TCM effectively inhibits the occurrence of UC by suppressing the accumulation of metabolites and antagonizes the development of UC by enhancing the antioxidant system. Therefore， using TCM to regulate the oxidative balance as a diagnostic and therapeutic approach may be a new method and direction for the treatment of UC in the future. Based on the above research， this article summarized the mechanisms of key pathogenic proteins in oxidative stress and the occurrence and development of UC， and compiled the effective ingredients of Chinese medicine， single drugs， prescriptions， and acupuncture and moxibustion in regulating upstream and downstream target proteins of oxidative stress. These interventions can reduce pathological damage to the intestinal mucosa， lower the colon injury index， enrich the intestinal microbiota， increase colon length， and improve clinical symptoms of UC. The article is expected to expand the application of TCM in the treatment of UC and provide a reliable scientific theoretical basis.
ABSTRACT
Pyroptosis， a new type of inflammatory programmed cell death， is different from apoptosis， necrosis， cytosis， ferroptosis， and autophagy. Pyroptosis is dependent on the activation of cysteine aspartate-specific protease （Caspase）， which cleaves key mediator proteins to form pores in the cell membrane and induces the maturation and release of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 into the extracellular environment， resulting in a cascade of inflammatory reactions. Gastric cancer as a malignant tumor of the digestive tract is refractory and has poor prognosis， and the chemoradiotherapy of this disease may lead to a variety of complications. At present， the pathogenesis of gastric cancer remains unclear. Studies have proved that pyroptosis is associated with the occurrence and development of gastric cancer， which has attracted wide attention. Pyroptosis is a double-edged sword for gastric cancer. On the one hand， it can release the contents of proinflammatory cells to amplify or maintain inflammation and induce the "inflammation-cancer" transformation of cells. On the other hand， pyroptosis can enhance the sensitivity of drugs for chemotherapy to improve the therapeutic effect and survival. In recent years， the anti-tumor mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has become a research hotspot as TCM has demonstrated significant effects in clinical application. Therefore， the regulation of pyroptosis by TCM may be a new direction for the treatment of gastric cancer in the future. Based on the available studies， this paper introduces the roles of pyroptosis-associated key proteins in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. Furthermore， this paper summarizes the effects of TCM prescriptions and active ingredients on alleviating gastric mucosal damage， reducing the incidence of gastric cancer， and preventing tumor metastasis and recurrence by mediating pyroptosis pathways， aiming to provide new ideas for deciphering the mechanism of pyroptosis and exploring the TCM treatment of gastric cancer in the future.