Zi Dian Fang

Zi Dian Fang (ZDF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula composed of ten herbal ingredients: Hedysarum multijugum Maxim, Cortex Moutan, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi, Ecliptae Herba, Sweet potato vine, Donkey-hide gelatin, Herba Selaginellae Moellendorffii, Panax notoginseng, Peanut skin, and Radix liquiritiae. It is used for treating immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), aiming to benefit qi, nourish yin, cool the blood, and favor hemostasis. Mechanistically, ZDF acts by inhibiting the Ras/MAPKs pathway — notably reducing the activity and phosphorylation of Ras, ERK, JNK, and p38MAPK — thereby modulating platelet proliferation, inflammation, and immune responses. Its effects include downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), immune mediators (IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4), and regulation of growth factors like thrombopoietin and GM-CSF. Network pharmacology and metabolomics confirm that ZDF alters endogenous metabolites related to ITP and may provide therapeutic benefit with a favorable safety profile compared to hormone-based therapies[1][3][4][9].

Other names

ZDF