IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 50 / Issue 8 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog5008164
Open Access Review
Ligustrazine: A Review of Its Role and Mechanism in the Treatment of Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases
Yulu Hu1,2Ao Wang1,2Jie Chen1,2Hui Chen1,2,*
Show Less
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, Sichuan, China
2 Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, Sichuan, China
*Correspondence: chenhui2022@scu.edu.cn (Hui Chen)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2023, 50(8), 164; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog5008164
Submitted: 11 December 2022 | Revised: 5 May 2023 | Accepted: 8 May 2023 | Published: 2 August 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Objective: Ligustrazine is an amide alkaloid, with the active substance being Chuanxiong. Also known as tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), ligustrazine has various pharmacological effects and has been used to treat a variety of diseases. Many studies have demonstrated a role for ligustrazine in the treatment of several obstetrical and gynecological diseases. However, most results on the efficacy of ligustrazine have been obtained from basic laboratory experiments, with few clinical studies having validated these results. Mechanisms: In this narrative review we analyze the available literature summarizing the role and mechanism of ligustrazine in the treatment of obstetrical and gynecological diseases. Findings in Brief: TMP shows good results for the treatment of endometriosis, preeclampsia, ovarian cancer, as well as other obstetrical and gynecological diseases through its regulation of cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, inflammation, immune response, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, endothelial protection, and fibrogenesis. Conclusions: TMP is therefore a promising drug with great research potential. Of note, ligustrazine is a complementary or alternative medicine and not the primary treatment. And most studies to date are laboratory-based experiments with low evidence levels. More in-depth research is needed to determine the pharmacological effects of ligustrazine in the clinic.

Keywords
ligustrazine
tetramethylpyrazine
review
pharmacology
obstetrical and gynecological diseases
Funding
2023NSFSC0738/SiChuan Provincia Natural Science Foundation of China
Figures
Fig. 1.
Share
Back to top