duyiwei

Duyiwei refers to a traditional Chinese herbal medicine derived from the plant Lamiophlomis rotata. It is widely used in China as an orally available Tibetan analgesic and is formulated in various dosage forms such as capsules and cataplasms. The primary active constituent identified is shanzhiside methylester (SM), an iridoid glycoside that acts as a small molecule agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor. Mechanistically, SM reduces neuropathic pain by activating spinal GLP-1 receptors, which stimulates microglial β-endorphin expression via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. This cascade results in analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects without inducing tolerance or cross-tolerance with opioids like morphine or β-endorphin. Clinically, Duyiwei has been approved for use in China for indications such as hemorrhage and uterine hemorrhage; it has also been studied for knee osteoarthritis and gingivitis[2][3][5].

Brand names

Duyiwei CapsuleDuyiwei Cataplasm

Other names

Lamiophlomis rotataTibetan analgesic herbDYWC