Geodermatophilus ruber sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of a medicinal plant.
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Astragaloside IV improves homocysteine-induced acute phase endothelial dysfunction via antioxidation.
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Astragaloside IV, the major active component extracted from Astragalus membranaceus, exerts multipotent activities under pathophysiological conditions. Hyperhomocysteinemia, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, induces oxidative stress leading to endothelial dysfunction. We investigated the effect of astragaloside IV on acute phase endothelial dysfunction induced by homocysteine. In a concentration-dependent manner, endothelial dysfunction was induced by homocysteine. In organ bath experiment using rat aortic rings, treatment with astragaloside IV resulted in an improvement of the impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation by homocysteine as reflected by the higher maximal vasorelaxation to acetylcholine. However, the presence of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride could abolish the protective effect of astragaloside IV on homocysteine-induced vasomotor dysfunction. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells culture experiment, exposure to astragaloside IV significantly ameliorated the homocysteine-induced inactivation of nitric oxide-nitric oxide synthase signal pathway via reducing oxygen species and increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase. Additionally, pretreatment with superoxide dismutase showed a similar effect to astragaloside IV on attenuation of the homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction. These data support the view that astragaloside IV might be advantageous in the treatment of endothelial dysfunction induced by disturbed nitric oxide-nitric oxide synthase pathway due to oxidative stress in hyperhomocysteinemia. (+info)
Herbal medicines for viral myocarditis.
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Regulation of inflammatory gene expression in PBMCs by immunostimulatory botanicals.
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The known immunologically active components of Astragalus account for only a small proportion of the immunological adjuvant activity when combined with conjugate vaccines.
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The telomerase activator TA-65 elongates short telomeres and increases health span of adult/old mice without increasing cancer incidence.
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Treatment of experimental Coxsackie B-3 viral myocarditis with Astragalus membranaceus in mice.
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A murine model system for observing the effect of Astragalus Membranaceus (AM) on experimental myocarditis caused by Coxsackie B-3 virus (CB3V) was developed in 4-week-old male BALB/C mice. Gross, histopathologic and ultrastructural examinations of the infected-AM treated group showed that the severity and involved area of the myocardial lesions became milder and smaller than those in the infected-NS treated mice. The total lesion area, and the total lesion area/total myocardial area examined (%) and virus titer in the former group were also smaller and lower than those in the latter group. The results suggest that AM is effective in the inhibition of Coxsackie B virus propagation and protection of myocardium in mouse myocarditis. (+info)
Effect of astragalus membranaceus on electric activities of cultured rat beating heart cells infected with Coxsackie B-2 virus.
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Astragalus membranaceus (AM) which has a protective effect on rat beating heart cells infected experimentally with Coxsackie B-2 virus was evaluated on the basis of changes in morphologic and electric activity of the cells. Rhythm, beating frequency, beating percentage, cardiac cellular damage and cytopathic effects (CPE) were monitored every 24 h after challenge; electric activities parameters were measured by conventional intracellular microelectrode technique. Significant protective effects were demonstrated when AM was given in the early period of infection. The results suggest that AM should be valuable in preventing and treating acute myocarditis caused by Coxsackie B virus. (+info)