RESUMO
Diabetic nephropathy （DN）， a major cause of chronic kidney disease （CKD）， aggravates the prevalence of end-stage renal disease （ESRD） and threatens human health. The pathogenesis of DN is complex， in which inflammation is a key pathological link in the cascade injury. Therefore， the treatment targeting inflammation helps to delay the progression of DN. NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， a classical proteasome， acts as an inducer of innate immune responses. The activated NLRP3 inflammasomes produce and release inflammatory mediators to trigger pyroptosis and uncontrolled autophagy and mediate the stress signals promoting renal fibrosis， thus participating in the development and progression of DN. The NLRP3 inflammasome as a core site inducing inflammation is widely involved in DN progression and may be a novel target. The active components and compound prescriptions of Chinese medicines are increasingly applied in the prevention and treatment of DN. The latest studies have discovered that Chinese medicines can treat DN by regulating the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. Although studies have been conducted to explore the mechanism of Chinese medicines in the treatment of DN via NLRP3 inflammasome， the systematic review remains to be carried out. This paper reviews the relevant publications in recent years and introduces the research progress from the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes， the mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasomes in the treatment of DN， and the regulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes by Chinese medicines for the prevention and treatment of DN， aiming to lay a foundation for the relevant studies and provide new targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of DN.
RESUMO
Hepatic fibrosis （HF） is a widespread disease caused by various forms of chronic liver injury， significantly impacting human health. HF often has an insidious onset with inconspicuous symptoms， but in its advanced stages， it can progress to cirrhosis or even hepatocellular carcinoma. The pathogenic mechanisms of HF are highly complex， primarily characterized by excessive extracellular matrix （ECM） deposition. Autophagy is a lysosome-mediated degradation system employed by cells to recycle cellular contents， eliminate aggregated proteins， damaged organelles， and invading pathogens （such as viruses and bacteria） to maintain normal cellular function and dynamic balance. Autophagy can regulate various signaling pathways and factors， including mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， and transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）， to reduce the activation of hepatic stellate cells （HSCs） and hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis， thereby mitigating ECM deposition and slowing the progression of HF. Numerous studies also suggest that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can effectively treat HF， and its mechanism of action may be related to autophagy. This article provides a review by summarizing recent literature in China and abroad on the mechanisms of autophagy， related signaling factors and pathways， as well as the role of TCM in regulating autophagy for the prevention and treatment of HF， aiming to offer insights and references for the development of TCM in the prevention and clinical rational medication in the treatment of HF.