Mechanism of Astragali radix combined with Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in alleviating diabetic nephropathy: Focus on the AGEs/RAGE/MAPK signaling Pathway.
Miao J, Hu Y, Cheng L, Zhang B, Li L
Herbal Medicine
PubMedTwo common garden herbs — Astragalus, grown widely as an ornamental and medicinal plant, and Chinese sage — have now been scientifically shown to work together to fight one of the most serious complications of diabetes, giving plant-based remedies newfound credibility.
Scientists tested a combination of two herbs long used in Chinese medicine — Astragalus root and Chinese sage root — on rats with a condition similar to diabetic kidney disease. The herbal combo lowered blood sugar and fat levels, reduced inflammation and cell damage in the kidneys, and helped the organs recover. The researchers traced the benefit to the herbs' ability to switch off a specific stress signal inside kidney cells that drives the disease.
Key Findings
UHPLC-MS analysis identified 71 chemical compounds in the herbal combination, with quercetin, tanshinone IIA, tanshinone IIB, and formononetin as the primary active constituents.
Treatment with the herbal combination in STZ-induced diabetic rats significantly restored body weight, reduced blood glucose and lipid levels, and improved kidney function markers while reversing kidney and liver tissue damage.
Experimental validation confirmed the herbal combination inhibits the AGEs/RAGE/MAPK signaling pathway and reduces kidney cell death (apoptosis), identifying this pathway as the primary mechanism of action.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A traditional Chinese herbal combination of Astragalus root and Chinese sage root was shown to significantly reduce blood sugar, improve kidney function, and protect against kidney damage in diabetic rats by blocking a specific inflammation and stress signaling pathway.
Abstract Preview
Both Astragali radix (Huangqi) and Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen) were first documented in Shennong Bencaojing (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica), a foundational text of tradi...
open_in_new Read full abstract on PubMedAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Chloroplast Genome Editing Eliminates Gluten Immunogenicity in Triticum aestivum
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
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...