Research progress of effective components of Astragalus on prevention and treatment of organ fibrosis / 药学学报

Astragalus, which was first documented in Shennong Bencao Jing, is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. or Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao. The active ingredients astragalus membranaceus saponins (AMS), astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and astragalus flavonoids (AFS) have pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor properties, lowering blood sugar, regulating lipid metabolism, cardiovascular protection, anti-oxidation, bone protection, anti-fibrosis, etc. Fibrosis affects almost all organs, particularly vital organs such as the lungs, liver, heart and kidneys. The primary pathological changes of fibrosis involve abnormal increase of myofibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, which lead to the formation of scar tissue, ultimately resulting in fibrosis and even functional loss or failure of organs, which seriously threatens human health and life. Recent, studies have shown that Astragalus membranaceus has a good therapetuic effect on organ fibrosis. This article reviews the current advances of Astragalus in the prevention and treatment of fibrosis of lungs, liver, heart, kidneys and other important organs.

Progress in the study of association between cellular senescence and organ fibrosis / 药学学报

Deformation or failure of organs is the final stage involving fibrosis, caused by fibrous scars composed of excess extracellular matrix proteins. Cellular senescence means a stable stagnation state with no proliferation, during which the senescent cells maintain biochemical metabolism but promote excessive expression of extracellular matrix proteins due to secreting inflammatory factors, which contribute to the development of various organ fibrosis including myocardial fibrosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. It has been shown that both the incidence of organ fibrosis and the number of senescent cells increase with age. This review mainly summarizes mechanisms of cellular senescence and its contribution to the process of various organ fibrosis. Current anti-fibrotic drug therapy focused on cellular senescence is discussed. Cellular senescence has profound implications in the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases and provides a new target for new effective treatments.