Root extract from a traditional herb protects blood vessels from cell death
Wu S, Zhang X, Wei S, Lu M, Sun L
Medicinal Plants
The astragalus root long used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine turns out to switch on a cell's own antioxidant defenses, a reminder that some backyard-adjacent medicinal plants have real, traceable biochemistry behind their reputations.
Astragalus is a plant whose root has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and this study shows why it might actually work for blood vessel health. Researchers gave rats and human cells a compound extracted from the root while exposing them to repeated low-oxygen conditions, similar to what happens during sleep apnea, and found it prevented a damaging type of cell death in the blood vessel lining. The plant compound did this by switching on a natural antioxidant pathway inside the cells.
Key Findings
Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) reversed vascular endothelial dysfunction caused by chronic intermittent hypoxia in rats and human pulmonary artery endothelial cells over a 28-day treatment period.
APS suppressed ferroptosis (iron-dependent cell death) by activating the Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway, reducing lipid peroxidation and boosting antioxidant capacity.
Blocking Nrf2 with ML385 or siRNA knockdown eliminated APS's protective effects, confirming Nrf2 activation is the mechanism behind the benefit.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that a compound from the astragalus root plant can protect blood vessel linings from damage caused by chronic low-oxygen conditions, working by blocking a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis. The discovery points to a possible plant-based treatment for vascular problems linked to conditions like sleep apnea.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Astragalus polysaccharide relieves chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction by inhibiting ferroptosis through activation of the Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 axis.
Vascular endothelial dysfunction (VED) is pivotal in diverse disorders, and ferroptosis (iron-dependent regulated cell death) is linked to cardiovascular diseases. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), ...
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Astragalus is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names incl...