Astragalus Root Can Prevent Telomere Shortening One of the recommendations from yesterday's video is taking antioxidants, especially for older women, to help offset DNA damage from the aging process (GreenFertility likes whole foods-based Super Nutrition's Antioxidant Power). Power). So this story about astragalus root came off the wire yesterday, about how some chemical that they a re feverishly trying to extract from this common Asian medicinal medi cinal herb helps shorten telomeres. Telomeres basically are an indication of the age of a chromosome, they shorten as the chromosome ages. Interestingly, in a recent study they di d on how STRESS ages us, they used parents of autistic children as their stress-bucket test subjects, which seemed to me to be pretty appropriate (and yes, we do have telemores that shorten at a faster rate). I just think it's funny (sad?) that there's this sudden rush to extract, synthesize, and probably to genetically engineer this (and of course patent f or $$$) when people in Asia have been taking this for thousands of years, and yes, my elders are always saying, "Eat this! You'll live longer!" I always feel using the unprocessed plant part is better And yes, it's good for fertility by virtue of it being an adaptogen, li ke ginseng. Here's the post I did at my "old" blogging job at Adoption.com : http://blogs.fertilitycommunity.com/weblogs/astragalus-whangki-huang-qi How to add some whang-ki to your life? Easy! Click for the FertilityBitch's chicken soup recipe. recipe. A good source to buy some s ome organic astralagus/whang-ki: Mountain Rose Herbs. Herbs. From Newswise, the journalists'-only site: -----------------------------------------Newswise ² Like other kinds of cells, immune cells lose the ability to divide as they age because a part of their chromosomes known as a telomere becomes progressively shorter with cell division. As a result, the cell changes in many
ways, and its disease fighting ability is compromised. But a new UCLA AIDS Institute study has found that a chemical from the Astragalus root, frequently used in Chinese herbal therapy, can prevent or slow this progressive telomere shortening, which could make it a key weapon in the fight against HIV. The study, to be published in the Nov. 15 print edition of the Journal of Immunology, is available online at www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/full/181/10/7400. A telomere is a region at the end of every cell chromosome that contains repeated DNA sequences but no genes; tel omeres act to protect the ends of the chromosomes and prevent them from fusing together ² rather like the plasti c tips that keep shoelaces from unraveling. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter, eventually causing the cell to reach a stage call ed replicative senescence, when it can no longer divide. This seems to indicate that the cell has reached an end stage, but, in fact, the cell has changed into one with new genetic and functional characteristics. Generally, the telomeres in cells are sufficiently long that they can divide many times without a problem. Moreover, when fighting infections, T-cells can turn on an enzyme call ed telomerase, which can prevent the telomeres from shortening.... Previous studies have shown that injecting the telomerase gene into T-cells can keep the telomeres from shortening, enabling them to maintain their HIV-fighting function for much longer. This gene-therapy approach, however, is not a practical way to treat the millions of people living with HIV. For the present study, rather than utilizing gene therapy, the researchers used a chemical called TAT2, which was originally identified from plants used in traditional Chinese therapy and which enhances telomerase activity in other c ell types... "The ability to enhance telomerase activity and antiviral functions of CD8 T-lymphocytes suggests that this strategy
could be useful in treating HIV disease, as well as immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to other viral infections associated with chronic diseases or aging," the researchers write.
http://forum.lef.org/default.aspx?f=43&m=41122
http://whyweage.com/node/11
http://www.mindandmuscle.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=36242
http://www.asianhealthsecrets.com/letha/?p=2454
http://www.hghtalk.com/telomeres/astragalus-has-telomere-restorationbenefits/
http://truthinaging.com/ingredient-spotlight/astragalus-antiaging-and-telomeres
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus_propinquus
http://www.astragalusresearch.com/astragalus/anti-aging-telomere-therapywith-astragalosides
http://www.astragalusresearch.com/astragalus/does-consumption-of-herbastragalus-root-really-affect-your-breast-size
http://www.astragalusresearch.com/astragalus/anti-aging-telomere-therapywith-astragalosides
http://www.astragalusresearch.com/astragalus/astragalus-medicinal-usesinteractions-side-effects-dosage
http://www.astragalusresearch.com/astragalus/does-anyone-know-aboutastragalus
Astragalus ² Medicinal Uses, Interactions, Side
Eff ects,
Dosage
Astragalus(Astragalus membranaceous)ra ting: The Astragalus species that is obtained from China is A. membranaceous, also known as Mongolian milk vetch, or by its Chinese name, huang qi. It is quite different from other species of Astragalus, known as locoweeds, which contain large amounts of selenium and other potential toxins, and from the Middle Eastern plant, A. gummifer, which is the source of gum tragacanth.
Uses and Benef its: In Chinese traditional medicine, the root of A. membranaceous is a popular and potent tonic used for numerous specific indications, especially infections. It is thought to improve depressed immunity, and therefore it has been recommended for the treatment of AIDS and other viral diseases, and as an adjuvant in cancer therapy. The herb is now advocated for a wide variety of illnesses, including the common cold, influenza, respiratory insufficiency, diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, cardiac ischemia, heart failure, vascular insufficiency, and nephritis.
Pharmacology: The important constituents include nu merous triterpene saponins, known as astragalosides and related compounds such as soyasaponins. A number of polysaccharides, such as astragalans I-IV, have been isolated. Important flavonoids include quercetin and kaempferol; among its many other constituents are isoflavonoids, sugars, amino acids, and linoleic acid. It is unclear which of the numerous constituents are of therapeutic value. However, the polysaccharides and saponins have been suggested to be the major agents. The polysaccharide fractions of the root extract have been reported to have in vitro effects that suggest an immune-enhancing capability. There is some evidence that astragalus can potentiate the effect of interferon against viruses and can increase IgA and IgM in nasal secretions in humans. Animal experiments have shown that extracts of astragalus can restore the immune properties of cancer patient T -cells in vitro. A more recent rat study does not confirm earlier reports that astragalus extract can p reven t myelosuppression by cyclophosphamide.
Clinical
Trials:
Almost all of the clinical studies on astragalus are in Chinese medical books or journals and are therefore not readily evaluated. In an open study on 1000 subjects,8 it is alleged that a 2 -month prophylactic course of the herb in a dosage of 8 g/day in combination with interferon was correlated with a significant reduction in colds compared to placebo or interferon alone. g . Benefits in humans for a wide variety of chronic and serious dis orders also have been reported. For example, it is asserted that astragalus increases serum IgM, IgE, and cAMP; enhances left ventricular function and cardiac output in patients with angina pectoris; improves hemorrhagic indices in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus; increases survival in lung cancer when combined with conventional therapy; improves leukopenia; im proves liver function in chronic viral hepatitis; and so on However, none of these reports are evaluable, and the testing applied as well as the observations made by investigators do not conform to standard methods used in Western medicine. In general, these studies were uncontrolled or unblinded, and no reliable clinical studies in support of these indications have been reported in the English -language peer-reviewed literature. Thus, there is only very equivocal evidence to support the numerous clinical claims that are made for astragalus, particularly as an immune system restorative or as an immune modulator for use in the treatment of cancer.
Adverse Eff ects: Herbalists regard astragalus as very safe based on its reputation as a valued traditional medication. It is unlikely that astragalus has any serious toxicity, although there is a lack of reliable clinical data.
Side
Eff ects
and Interactions:
There are no recognized drug interactions. Cautions:
Astragalus can be obtained in combination mixtures, in which other agents may have a potential for toxicity.
Preparations & Doses:
Sliced astragalus root is often used to make teas, soups, or decoctions. T he usual daily dose varies from 2 to 30 g or more of the dried root ; although large doses appear to be safe, 8-15 g/day seems to be more reasonable. Some products contain standardized extracts, packaged in unit doses. Capsules containing 150-500 mg are commonly marketed, to be taken as often as 8 or 9 times a day; tinctures and fluid extracts are also available. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is usual to take astragalus in combination with other herbs.
Summary Evaluation A membranaceous is a popular Chinese herb that has long been used as a tonic. Increasing claims suggest that it is of value as an immune restorative to fight viral diseases, as a treatment for Lancer, and as a cure for other disorders. However, the scientific evidence of clinical effec tiveness is of unclear quality, and has not I leen validated outside the Asian literature. Thus, actual benefits ;Ire not substantiated. The fact that large doses can be taken with reported toxicity suggests that astragalus has minimal pharmacologic potenc y.
Astragalus, Telomeres, Cancer Prevention Published by Letha on July 7, 2010 in Protect Yourself & Family. 4 Comments Tags: apoptosis, cancer, cell aging, colon cancer, dna, immunity, p16, rna, sod, telomere.
Dried, sliced astragalus sold in Chinese herb shops and supermarkets. WebMD: July 7, 2010 Aging cells greatly increase your risk of deadly cancer even if youre still relatively young. Cells stay young as long as they are able to repair their own DNA. Thats up to telomeres, the proteins at the end of each chromosome. But every time a cell reproduces, its telomeres get shorter. A startling new study now shows that people who accumulate a lot of cells with short telomeres have greatly increased risk of fatal cancers. What increases telomere strand lengththereby protecting DNA and preventing cancers? Astragalus. Simmer 8 slices in a quart of water for 30 minutes and drink it between meals for improved energy and immunity. Here are three important studies.
Astragalus saponins induce growth inhibition and apoptosis (cell death) in human colon cancer cells and t umor xenograft
Mandy M.Y. Tin, Chi-Hin Cho1, Kelvin Chan2, Anthony E. James 3 and Joshua K.S. Ko*Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, 1 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China 2 School
of
Applied
Sciences,
University
of
Wolverhampton,
Wolverhampton WV1 1SB, UK 3
Laboratory Animal Services Center, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, China *
To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +852 3411
2907; Fax: +852 3411 2461; Email:
[email protected]
Astragalus memebranaceus is used as immunomodulating agent intreating
immunodeficiency
diseases
and
to
alleviate
the
adverseeffects of chemotherapeutic drugs. In recent years, it has beenproposed
that
Astragalus
may
possess
anti -tumorigenic
potentialin certain cancer cell types. In this study, the anti carcinogeniceffects of Astragalus saponin extract were investigated in HT-29human colon cancer cells and tumor xenograft. Our findings haveshown
that
Astragalus
saponins
(AST)
inhibit
cell
proliferationthrough accumulation in S phase and G2/M arrest, with concomitantsuppression of p21 expression and inhibition of cyclin dependentkinase activity. Besides, AST promotes apoptosis in HT-29 cellsthrough
caspase
3
activation
and
poly(ADP -ribose)
polymerasecleavage, which is indicated by DNA fragmentation and
nuclearchromatin condensation. Nevertheless, we also demonstrate theanti-tumorigenic effects of AST in vivo, of which the reductionof tumor volume as well as pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferativeeffects in HT-29 nude mice xenograft are comparable with thatproduced by the conventional chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil(5-FU). In addition, the side effects (body weight drop andmortality) associated with the drug combo 5-FU and oxaliplatinare not induced by AST. These results indicate that AST couldbe an effective chemotherapeutic agent in colon cancer treatment,which might also be used as an adjuvant in combination withother orthodox chemotherapeutic drugs to reduce the side effectsof the latter compounds. Abbreviations:
dUTP,
2-deoxyuridine
5-triphosphate;
PARP,
poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen;
TdT,
terminal
deoxynucleotidyl
transferase;
TUNEL,
terminal
deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP in situ nick-end labeling. . . Received August 21, 2006; revised October 16, 2006; accepted November 19, 2006. Protective Effect of Total Flavonoids Astragalus on DNA Strand Breaks in V79 Cells Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide and Gamma Rays.
Wang Deqing;Shen Wenmei;Tian Yaping;Jiang Cien (Department of Biochemistry, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100853, China). The protective effect of total flavonoids Astragalus (TFA), one of the natural anti-oxide agent isolated from Astragalus monghlious, on DNA strand breaks induced by the hydrogen peroxide and gamma rays has been investigated with the fluorometry assay of DNA unwinding (FADU). The results showed that the TFA has different degree of
protective effect on DNA strand breaks caused by hydrogen peroxide and gamma rays respectively. It also showed some protective effect on DNA strand breaks induced by these two damage factors,when the concentration of TFA were 0.4 g/Land 0. 6 g/L, respectively. When its concentrations were increased to 0. 8 g/L and I .2 g/L,TFA could effectively protect DNA from hydrogen peroxide and gamma rays damages. Compared the protective effect of TFA on DNA strand breaks induced by hydrogen peroxide and gamma rays, the former was better. The protective mechanism of TFA on DNA strand break could be related to savenging free radicals. Effects of astragalus root on the expression of P16 mRNA and telomere of human dermal fibroblasts by serum pharmacology
ZHANG Pengxia,LIANG Yunxia,TANG Xiaoli,et al. Authors address School of Basic Medical Science of Jiamusi University, Heilongjiang Jiamusi, 154007 Objective: To observe effects of astragalus root on the changes of the activity of SOD, the expression of P16 and the length of telomere. Method: The serum of rabbits which were filled with water decoction of astragalus root and then cultured human dermal fibroblasts in DMEM contained with astragalus root serum was collected. The activity of SOD was determined by colorimetric method,the expression of P16 by RT-PCR and the length of telomere by TRPSouthern blot. Result: Compared with those in the control group, the activity of SOD increased, the expression of P16 depressed,the length of telomere lengthened. Conclusion: Astragalus root serum can postpone senescence by increasing the activity of SOD,depressing the expression of P16 and inhibiting the shortening of telomere.
