Liver stasis and blood heat

Liver stasis and blood heat is a diagnostic syndrome (Zheng) within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rather than a single molecular target, receptor, or enzyme. It describes a complex pathophysiological state characterized by the stagnation of Liver-Qi—often associated with emotional or neuroendocrine dysregulation—concurrent with 'blood heat,' which frequently manifests as systemic or localized inflammation (World Health Organization [WHO] International Standard Terminologies on TCM). In modern clinical research, this syndrome is most frequently studied in the context of dermatological conditions like psoriasis and psychiatric conditions like major depressive disorder (PMID: 31258652). Because it is a systemic syndrome, it does not have a single mechanism of action; instead, it involves the dysregulation of multiple biological pathways including the IL-23/IL-17 axis in skin diseases and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in mood disorders. Treatment typically involves polyherbal formulas such as Dan Zhi Xiao Yao San, which exert pleiotropic effects across various receptors and signaling molecules to restore homeostatic balance. Consequently, while it is a target for TCM therapeutic intervention, it is considered 'incorrect' when categorized as a discrete molecular target in western pharmacological frameworks (PMID: 25454142).

Other names

Liver Qi stagnation and blood heatGan Yu Xue ReStagnation of Liver Qi and Heat in BloodLiver depression and blood heat

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), therapeutic agents target this syndrome by 'soothing the liver' and 'clearing heat,' which translates in modern pharmacology to the multi-target modulation of the neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) network, reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and stabilization of the HPA axis (PMID: 33431323, 28623517).