title: Chinese herbal drugs for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the various pharmacological actions and the molecular mechanisms behind them by which Chinese herbs tend to lower the risk of developing microvascular diabetic complications in retina and prevent its further progression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Several Chinese herbs, indeed, elicit potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-angiogenic, anti-apoptotic, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma receptor agonistic, platelet-activating factor antagonistic, aldose reductase inhibitory and various other beneficial pharmacological activities, required to counteract the pathological conditions prevalent in retina during diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese herbs can potentially be used for the treatment/prevention of diabetic retinopathy owing to the virtue of numerous properties by which they alleviate several hyperglycaemia-induced pathological occurrences in retina. This would provide a natural and safe therapy for diabetic retinopathy, which currently is clinically limited to destructive techniques like laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Tapan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Behl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotwani
mesh_terms: D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: 
  Astragalus membranaceus
  ; 
  Ginkgo biloba
  ; 
  Lycium barbarum
  ; 
  Panax notoginseng
  ; 
  Salvia miltiorrhiza
  