Targeting neutrophils extracellular traps, a promising anti-thrombotic therapy for natural products from traditional Chinese herbal medicine
Wei Lei, Xiao Li Li, Shanze Li, Zhou Fengjie, Yadi Guo, Mingyan Zhang, Xin-Yao Jin, Han Zhang
Abstract
Thrombi are the main cause of vascular occlusion and contribute significantly to cardiovascular events and death. Neutrophils extracellular traps (NETs)-induced thrombosis plays a vital role in thrombotic complications and it takes the main responsibility for the resistance of fibrinolysis. However, the conventional anti-thrombotic therapies are inadequate to treat NETs-induced thrombotic complications but carry a high risk of bleeding. Consequently, increased attention has shifted towards exploring novel anti-thrombotic treatments targeting NETs. Interestingly, accumulating evidences prove that natural products from traditional Chinese herbal medicines have a great potential to mitigate thrombosis through inhibiting generous NETs formation and degrading excessive NETs. In this review, we elaborated the formation and degradation of NETs and highlighted its pivotal role in immunothrombosis through interactions with platelets and coagulation factors. Since available anti-thrombotic drugs targeting NETs are deficient, we further summarized the natural products and compounds from traditional Chinese herbal medicines which exert effective actions on regulating NETs formation and also have anti-thrombotic effects. Our findings underscore the diverse effects of natural products in targeting NETs, including relieving inflammation and oxidative stress of neutrophils, inhibiting neutrophils activation and DNA efflux, suppressing granule proteins release, reducing histones and promoting DNA degradation. This review aims to highlight the significance of natural medicines in anti-thrombotic therapies through targeting NETs and to lay a groundwork for developing novel anti-thrombotic agents from traditional Chinese herbal medicines. • We elaborate the formation and degradation of NETs in vascular. • We describe the important roles of NETs in inducing immunothrombosis. • We summarize the natural products and compounds with effects on regulating NETs and anti-thrombosis. • Our results suggest that natural products exert various effects targeting NETs. • Our work highlights the importance of natural medicines in the anti-thrombotic treatment via targeting NETs.