Activating blood circulation

Activating blood circulation, often referred to as 'Huoxue Huayu' in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a therapeutic principle rather than a single molecular target such as a receptor or enzyme (PMC4145228). It describes a physiological effect or clinical strategy aimed at improving hemorheology, resolving blood stasis, and preventing the formation of thrombi. In modern pharmacological terms, this principle corresponds to anti-platelet, anti-thrombotic, and vasodilatory activities mediated by a variety of molecular pathways including the nitric oxide/cGMP pathway and the coagulation cascade (PubMed: 30554165). While various herbs like Salvia miltiorrhiza and synthetic drugs like Aspirin act through this principle, 'Activating Blood Circulation' does not represent a discrete protein or gene product. Consequently, it is categorized as an incorrect entry for a specific molecular target database but remains a vital concept in integrative pharmacology and drug discovery for cardiovascular health.

Other names

Blood-activating and stasis-removingHuoxue HuayuPromoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasisInvigorating blood

The mechanism involves multi-target modulation including the inhibition of platelet activation (e.g., via P2Y12 or COX-1 inhibition), enhancement of nitric oxide (NO) production for vasodilation, reduction of blood viscosity through fibrinogen regulation, and promotion of fibrinolysis to dissolve existing micro-thrombi (PMC4145228; PubMed: 28659473).