Qingda Granule and Its Individual Herbs Inhibit Hypertension-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation via ERK and JNK Pathways

WU Jin-kong; LI Ren-feng; WU Mei-zhu; LIN Guo-sheng; ZHANG Wen-qiang; GUO Zhi; CHEN You-qin; LIAN Da-wei; SHEN A-ling; PENG Jun

doi:10.1007/s11655-026-4041-z

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Qingda Granule and Its Individual Herbs Inhibit Hypertension-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation via ERK and JNK Pathways

Original Article | Updated：2026-11-13

- Qingda Granule and Its Individual Herbs Inhibit Hypertension-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation via ERK and JNK Pathways
- Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Vol. 32, Issue 11, Pages: 996-1004(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou (350122), China
  College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou (350122), China
  Fujian Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine on Geriatrics, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou (350122), China
  Fujian Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrative Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuzhou (350122), China
  Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH (44106), USA
- Author bio：
  
  Correspondence to: Prof. PENG Jun, E-mail: pjunlab@hotmail.com
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s11655-026-4041-z
  CLC：
- Accepted：09 February 2026，
  
  Published：2026-11
- Accepted：
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WU Jin-kong, LI Ren-feng, WU Mei-zhu, et al. Qingda Granule and Its Individual Herbs Inhibit Hypertension-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation via ERK and JNK Pathways[J]. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2026, 32(11): 996-1004.
DOI：

WU Jin-kong, LI Ren-feng, WU Mei-zhu, et al. Qingda Granule and Its Individual Herbs Inhibit Hypertension-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation via ERK and JNK Pathways[J]. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2026, 32(11): 996-1004. DOI： 10.1007/s11655-026-4041-z.

摘要

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the specific role and underlying mechanisms of individual herbs in Qingda Granule (QDG) in attenuating hypertension and inhibiting proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Methods: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ)-stimulated VSMCs were treated with QDG or its individual herbs. SHRs were divided into groups using a completely randomized design: SHRs

valsartan (Val)

QDG

Gastrodia elata Blume (Tianma

Gas)

Uncaria rhynchophylla Miz. ex Havil. (Gouteng

Unc)

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huangqin

Scu)

and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn (Lianzixin

Nel)

6 in each group. All treatments were administered via intragastric gavage once daily for 10 weeks. Vascular function and pathological changes were evaluated by ultrasonography and HE staining. The proliferation of VSMCs was assayed by cell counting kit-8

immunohistochemistry (IHC)

and Western blot. RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in the abdominal aorta. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was performed to identify the key signaling pathways

and the expression of pathway-related proteins was subsequently verified by IHC and Western blot. Results: QDG and its individual herb treatments significantly attenuated the increase in pulse wave velocity and aortic wall thickness in SHRs. QDG inhibited the increased PCNA expression and cell viability in VSMCs. Unc

Scu

and Nel exhibited effects similar to QDG

while Gas did not show these effects. RNA sequencing analysis identified DETs in abdominal aortic tissues. KEGG analysis based on the DETs revealed that multiple common and unique signaling pathways were enriched. Among them

the MAPK pathway was enriched in the QDG

Unc

Scu

and Nel groups

but not in the Gas group

and the cAMP pathway was significantly enriched in all groups. IHC and Western blot analysis verified that compared with the SHR group

the QDG

Unc

Scu

and Nel groups inhibited MAPK pathway activation and promoted cAMP pathway activation in the abdominal aorta of SHR and Ang Ⅱ-stimulated A7R5s (P＜0.05). However

Gas only inhibited the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway and promoted the activation of the cAMP pathway (P＜0.05). Conclusions: The herbs in QDG exert significant antihypertensive effects by regulating common and unique pathways. Specifically

Unc

Scu

and Nel inhibit ERK and JNK pathway activation

which likely underlies QDG's suppression of VSMCs proliferation.

关键词

Keywords

references

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