Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills ameliorate acute myocardial infarction by modulating PKM2/STAT3 pathway-mediated metabolic reprogramming in macrophages.

Researchers investigated how Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills (QSYQ), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, protects the heart after a heart attack. Heart attacks trigger severe inflammation that damages heart tissue, and immune cells called macrophages play a key role in this process. The study used mouse models of heart attacks to understand how QSYQ works at the cellular level.

The researchers found that QSYQ significantly reduces heart inflammation and prevents harmful remodeling of the heart muscle after a heart attack. The herbal formula works by changing how macrophages process energy—specifically, it shifts them away from a type of metabolism called glycolysis that promotes inflammation. QSYQ lowers levels of a protein called STAT3 in macrophages, which prevents the formation of inflammatory protein complexes and reduces the release of inflammatory chemicals like IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α.

Using advanced techniques including proteomics, spatial metabolomics, and genetically modified mice, scientists confirmed that QSYQ restores normal energy cycles in heart cells and helps cardiac function recover. The formula works by targeting specific metabolic pathways involving PKM2 and STAT3 proteins that control inflammation.

This research provides scientific evidence for how traditional Chinese herbal medicine can protect heart tissue after a heart attack by modulating immune cell metabolism and reducing inflammation. While this study was conducted in animals, it helps explain the mechanisms behind herbal cardioprotective therapies used in traditional Chinese medicine. Patients interested in integrative approaches for cardiovascular health should consult with a qualified, licensed acupuncturist or integrative medicine practitioner familiar with Chinese herbal formulas.

This study demonstrates that Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills (QSYQ) ameliorate myocardial infarction-reperfusion (MI/R) injury through modulation of macrophage metabolic reprogramming via the PKM2/STAT3 pathway. Using mouse MI models with macrophage-specific STAT3 knockout (Cre-loxP system), researchers employed proteomics, spatial metabolomics, targeted metabolomics, proximity ligation assay, and coimmunoprecipitation to elucidate mechanisms. QSYQ significantly reduced cardiac inflammatory damage and ventricular remodeling by downregulating glycolytic enzymes (PKM2, LDHA) while promoting TCA cycle restoration. The formula inhibits STAT3-mediated formation of PKM2 dimers and nuclear translocation of the PKM2/STAT3 complex, reducing STAT3 phosphorylation and suppressing proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α). Metabolic effects were STAT3-dependent as confirmed in knockout models. Clinical takeaway: QSYQ demonstrates cardioprotective effects through immunometabolic modulation of macrophages, providing mechanistic evidence for herbal interventions in acute coronary syndromes and post-MI inflammatory management within integrative cardiovascular protocols.