Lei Li,1,* Xiao-Feng Liu,1,2,* Zhi-Fang Cui,1 Heng Zou,1 Shu-Ling Liu,1,2 Hong-Wu Wang1 

1Respiratory Disease Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 101121, People’s Republic of China; 2Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Hong-Wu Wang, Respiratory Disease Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 116 Cuiping West Road, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101121, People’s Republic of China, Email wanghongwu2015@126.com Shu-Ling Liu, Respiratory Disease Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 116 Cuiping West Road, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101121, People’s Republic of China, Email 553638521@qq.com

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the crucial chronic diseases that seriously endangers the health of residents in China. There is a complex mechanism of the pathogenesis of COPD, and no specific drugs are currently available to reverse the progressive decline in lung function during the natural course of COPD. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) not only alleviates clinical symptoms, but also leads to fewer adverse reactions. However, the mechanism of action of TCM in COPD treatment remains unclear.
Aim: To summarize the mechanisms of action of Chinese herbal compounds and natural drugs in the treatment of COPD and identify potential signaling pathways and targets that can provide preclinical evidence for the treatment of COPD.
Methods: Literature was retrieved from the scientific databases PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal from July 2007 to December 2023.
Results: This study introduced the specific pathways, targets and mechanisms of TCM in treating COPD from the perspectives of inhibiting inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, and regulating autophagy.
Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive summary of the theories of Chinese medicine in treating COPD, which utilize multiple targets and pathways to display the advantages of Chinese medicine. This lays the foundation for further exploration of pathways related to Chinese medicine for the treatment of COPD.

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, traditional chinese medicine, chinese herbal monomers, mechanism, therapeutic target pathway