title: Research advances on the usage of traditional Chinese medicine for neuroprotection in glaucoma.
abstract: Progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons is the main pathogenesis of glaucoma. The cause of glaucoma is not fully understood, but the neurodegeneration of glaucoma involves many mechanisms such as oxidative stress, glutamate toxicity and ischemia/reperfusion insult. In order to target these mechanisms, multiple neuroprotective interventions have been investigated to prevent the death of RGCs. Of note are some tonic herbs from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacopeia that have shown neuroprotective effects in glaucoma. TCM differs from Western medicine in that TCM exhibits complicated bioactive components, triggering many signaling pathways and extensive actions on vital organs. Modern scientific approaches have demonstrated some of their underlying mechanisms. In this review, we used Lycium barbarum and Ginkgo biloba as examples to elaborate the characteristics of TCM and their potential applications in neuroprotection in glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China; E-mail: hrmaskf@hkucc.hku.hk.
authors.forename: Xue-song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.forename: Jing-xiang
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Raymond Chuen-Chung
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kwok-Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: So
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C500223:lycium barbarum polysaccharide