{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T06:14:02Z","timestamp":1771481642527,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771459200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pharmacol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Neuroinflammation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) drives sympathetic overactivity in hypertension. The Anjiang Formula (AJ) shows clinical antihypertensive potential; however, the precise molecular targets mediating its central neuroprotective effects remain undefined.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      In this translational study, we investigated the clinical efficacy of AJ and tested the hypothesis that it directly inhibits the central RhoA\/ROCK2 signaling axis. We integrated a retrospective cohort analysis with mechanistic validation. Clinically, 85 elderly patients with Grade 1 essential hypertension were treated with AJ (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 43) or lifestyle control (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 42) for 8 weeks. Target engagement was verified using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), microscale thermophoresis (MST), and cellular thermal shift assays (CETSA). Mechanisms were validated in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHRs) and Angiotensin II-stimulated microglia.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Clinically, AJ reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by a mean difference of 10.2\u00a0mmHg compared to controls (\n                      <jats:italic>p &amp;lt;<\/jats:italic>\n                      0.001), with a 93% responder rate. This was accompanied by improved flow-mediated dilation (+1.3%) and reduced serum IL-6. Biophysical assays identified Shinflavanone as a direct ROCK2 ligand (\n                      <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>\n                      <jats:sub>D<\/jats:sub>\n                      = 20.0\u00a0\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      M; CETSA \u0394\n                      <jats:italic>T<\/jats:italic>\n                      <jats:sub>\n                        <jats:italic>m<\/jats:italic>\n                      <\/jats:sub>\n                      = +5.2\u00a0\u00b0C). In SHRs, AJ lowered blood pressure and suppressed PVN microglial activation.\n                      <jats:italic>In vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                      , AJ inhibited the RhoA\/ROCK2 cascade, downregulated JUN, and upregulated CREB1\/NQO1, thereby reducing oxidative stress. These effects were abolished by the ROCK2 agonist lysophosphatidic acid.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>AJ provides antihypertensive efficacy in elderly patients. These benefits are mechanistically driven by Shinflavanone-mediated inhibition of ROCK2, which attenuates central neuroinflammation and restores redox homeostasis in the PVN.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2026.1795297","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T05:23:01Z","timestamp":1771478581000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Anjiang formula inhibits PVN microglial activation and lowers blood pressure by targeting RhoA\/ROCK2 pathway: a retrospective clinical and experimental study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xuanjing","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital","place":["Xiamen, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital","place":["Xiamen, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhenglin","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Clinical Medical College, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dawei","family":"Lian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, Fujian, China"]},{"name":"College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital","place":["Xiamen, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Meizu","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, Fujian, China"]},{"name":"College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jin","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Clinical Medical College, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Aling","family":"Shen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, Fujian, China"]},{"name":"College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lianfa","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital","place":["Xiamen, China"]},{"name":"First Clinical Medical College, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Fuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110528","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jneumeth.2025.110528","article-title":"A closed-loop approach to monitor and manipulate the neural control of blood pressure","volume":"422","author":"Baumer-Harrison","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. 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