The Latest Research Advances of Danggui Buxue Tang as an Effective Prescription for Various Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

Danggui Buxue Tang(DBT)is composed of Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix in a weight ratio of 5:1.The recipe of the decoction is simple,and DBT has been widely used in the treatment of blood deficiency syndrome for more than 800 years in China.Studies on its chemical constituents show that saponins,flavonoids,volatile oils,organic acids,and polysaccharides are the main components of DBT.Many techniques such as third-generation sequencing,PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis,and HPLC-MS have been used for the quality control of DBT.DBT has a wide range of biological activities,including blood enhancement,antagonizing diabetic nephropathy,cardiovascular protection,immunity stimulation,estrogen-like effect,and antifibrosis,among others.In this paper,we summarize the recent research advances of DBT in terms of its components,pharmacological activities,and possible mechanisms of action as well as provide suggestions for further research.

Danggui Buxue Tang ameliorates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats through inhibiting transforming growth factor-β1/Smad3/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Danggui Buxue Tang(DBT), a decoction from Traditional Chinese Medicine, on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats, and to propose the possible underlying mechanism.METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group,prednisone group and DBT group. Pulmonary fibrosis rat model was established by intratracheal injection with bleomycin. Body weight and lung index were monitored. Histopathologic examination and collagen deposition were determined using Hematoxylin and eosin(HE) and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemistry staining was applied to observe the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA). m RNA expression of α-SMA,collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ were measured by realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-q PCR). Inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α), interleukin-6(IL-6) and IL-1β in serum were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Alkali hydrolysis method was conducted to investigate the content of hydroxyproline(HYP). Transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),Smad3 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) protein level were examined by Western blot assay.RESULTS: DBT significantly reduced the severity of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation as indicated by minimizing the lost of weight, and by lowering the levels of lung index, inflammation score, Ashcroft score, collagen volume fraction(%), HYP, α-SMA, collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ,TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, TGF-β1, Smad3 and PAI-1, consistent with the effect of prednisone.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that DBT is able to ameliorate the pulmonary fibrosis, the possible mechanism may involve inhibition of pulmonary inflammation and collagen deposition, possibly via suppressing TGF-β1/Smad3/PAI-1 signaling pathway.