Pathogenesis and Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulation of Chloasma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

The pathogenesis of chloasma is complex and diverse. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） believes that it is mostly related to liver, spleen and kidney, with hematogenous impassability as the standard and pigmentation on the face or body surface as the main symptom. Western medicine believes that it is closely related to family inheritance, ethnic differences and ultraviolet radiation. At present, there are various clinical therapies, mainly including prevention of ultraviolet radiation, local whitening agent and chemical skin. In addition, TCM plays an important role in the treatment of chloasma, often involving internal use, topical use, acupuncture and moxibustion. Modern studies have shown that TCM therapies mainly regulate the metabolism of antioxidant, endocrine and melanin in vivo. Although the mechanism of action could not explained to some extent, there are still some restriction in the discussions on the mechanism of external use of TCM in controlling chloasma. As the skin nerve-endocrine-immune (NEI) network is proposed and further studied, the role of NEI network in realizing overall functional regulation with cytokines, hormones and neurotransmitters as information molecules has been widely verified and recognized. This paper symmetrically reviewed the pathogenesis of chloasma and the progress of the regulatory effect of TCM, and proposed the possible local efficacy of TCM for external use in treating chloasma by regulating surface NEI network. This is worth further study and exploration in the expectation of providing new ideas for the treatment of chloasma and the studies on the mechanisms of action of TCM for external use.