Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (5): 1106-1116.DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.05.005

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Xuefu Zhuyu capsule (血府逐瘀胶囊) modulates angiogenesis in association with the Jagged1/Notch pathway in lung cancer and chemotherapy contexts

WANG Yizheng1,2, ZHANG Jiayu1,2, LI Yuxia1,2, FU Juanli1,2, PING Chunjia1,2, LI Yuxuan1,2, WANG He1,2, GAO Dong1,2, LIN Fan1,2()   

  1. 1 College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
    2 Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
  • Received:2025-08-12 Accepted:2025-12-23 Online:2026-10-15 Published:2026-10-09
  • Contact: LIN Fan, College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China; Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China. 2009037@fjtcm.edu.cn,Telephone: +86-591-22861151
  • About author:

    WANG Yizheng and ZHANG Jiayu are co-first authors and contributed equally to this work

  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China: Mechanism of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction Regulating Vascular Growth of Lung Cancer with Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis through Delta-like Protein 4/Notch Signaling Pathway(82204969);Role and Mechanism of Krüppel-like Factor 2 Signaling in Promoting Angiogenesis by Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction under Fluid Shear Stress(82074191);Study on the Mechanism of Krüppel-like Factor 4/5 as a Molecular Switch in the Angiogenesis Signaling Network of Xuefuzhuyu Decoction(82304954);Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province: the Role of Fructose-2, 6-bisphosphatase 3-Mediated Glycolysis in the Overall Regulation of Angiogenesis by Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction(2024J01748)

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the regulatory effect of Xuefu Zhuyu capsule (血府逐瘀胶囊, XFZYC) on angiogenesis in the contexts of lung cancer and chemotherapy, and to investigate its correlation with the Jagged1/Notch signaling pathway.

METHODS: A Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor-bearing mouse model was established and treated with XFZYC and cisplatin (DDP) for two weeks. Tumor growth was monitored, immunohistochemistry was employed to assess microvessel density in tumor tissues, laser speckle contrast imaging was used to evaluate tumor blood perfusion, and Western blotting was performed to examine the expression of Jagged1/Notch signaling pathway-related proteins. In vitro, a co-culture system of LLC cells and vascular endothelial cells (C166) was used to quantify angiogenesis-related factors in the supernatant after XFZYC drug-containing serum (XFZY-CS) or DDP treatment, followed by tube formation assays to assess C166 angiogenic capacity. Additionally, a stable Jagged1-overexpressing C166 cell line was generated to evaluate drug-mediated regulation of tube formation under chemotherapy conditions.

RESULTS: In vivo results demonstrated that XFZYC combined with DDP significantly suppressed tumor growth in lung cancer-bearing models (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the combination therapy group showed significantly reduced microvessel density and blood perfusion (P < 0.05); however, these parameters were significantly higher in the combination group than in the DDP-alone group (P < 0.05). Relative to the model group, the combination treatment inhibited Jagged1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) protein expression (P < 0.05) while promoting Notch1 activation and Hey1 protein expression (P < 0.05). In contrast, the combination group exhibited significantly elevated Jagged1 and VEGFR2 expression along with increased Notch1 activation products compared to the DDP-alone group (P < 0.05). In vitro findings revealed that XFZY-CS inhibited tube formation of C166 cells (P < 0.05) and reduced secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) as well as Jagged1 protein expression in endothelial cells under lung cancer and chemotherapy conditions (P < 0.05). Notably, following Jagged1 overexpression, XFZY-CS failed to modulate the tube formation ability of C166 cells.

CONCLUSION: In lung cancer and chemotherapy settings, XFZYC moderately suppresses tumor angiogenesis, a process that is associated with the Jagged1/Notch signaling pathway.

Key words: angiogenesis, lung neoplasms, cisplatin, Jagged-1 protein, receptors, notch, Xuefu Zhuyu capsule

Cite this article

WANG Yizheng, ZHANG Jiayu, LI Yuxia, FU Juanli, PING Chunjia, LI Yuxuan, WANG He, GAO Dong, LIN Fan. Xuefu Zhuyu capsule (血府逐瘀胶囊) modulates angiogenesis in association with the Jagged1/Notch pathway in lung cancer and chemotherapy contexts[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026, 46(5): 1106-1116.