Potenciales terapéuticos de la sanguijuela medicinal en la medicina china

The use of medicinal leeches in clinical therapy has been employed for a long time, as it was originally recognized for exerting antithrombin effects. These effects were due to the ability of the leech to continuously suck blood while attached to human skin. According to Chinese Pharmacopoei, leeches used in traditional Chinese medicine mainly consist of Whitmania pigra Whitman, Hirudo nipponia Whitman, and Whitmania acranulata, but the latter two species are relatively scarce. The main constituents of leeches are protein and peptide macromolecules. They can be categorized into two categories based on their pharmacological effects. One group consists of active ingredients that directly target the coagulation system, such as hirudin, heparin, and histamine, which are widely known. The other group comprises protease inhibitor components like Decorsin and Hementin. Among these, hirudin secreted by the salivary glands of the leech is the most potent thrombin inhibitor and served as the sole remedy for preventing blood clotting until the discovery of heparin. Additionally, leeches play a significant role in various traditional Chinese medicine formulations. In recent decades, medicinal leeches have been applied in fields including anti-inflammatory treatment, cardiovascular disease management, antitumor treatment, and many other medical conditions. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the historical journey and medicinal applications of leeches in various medical conditions, emphasizing their pharmaceutical significance within traditional Chinese medicine. This review offers valuable insights for exploring additional therapeutic opportunities involving the use of leeches in various diseases and elucidating their underlying mechanisms for future research.

Resumen tomado de PubMed (NCBI) para el registro citado, en el idioma original. La versión de referencia es la de la publicación original.

El resumen se deja sin traducir para conservar la redacción original de los autores.

Esta revisión describe el uso histórico y medicinal de las sanguijuelas en la medicina tradicional china (especies farmacopeicas: Whitmania pigra, Hirudo nipponia y Whitmania acranulata). Las sanguijuelas contienen principalmente macromoléculas proteicas y peptídicas; se distinguen principios de acción directa sobre la coagulación (hirudina, heparina, histamina) e inhibidores de proteasas (decorsina, hementina). La hirudina es el inhibidor de trombina más potente y fue el único remedio anticoagulante hasta descubrirse la heparina. Se comentan usos antiinflamatorios, cardiovasculares y antitumorales.

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