title: Mechanisms by which Astragalus membranaceus injection regulates hematopoiesis in myelosuppressed mice.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism underlying the effects of Astragalus membranaceus injection (AMI) on myelopoiesis in myelosuppressed mice. At 72 h after cyclophosphamide injection (250 mg/kg), the mice were administered AMI (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 6 consecutive days or an equivalent volume of saline as a control. Murine colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) formation, production of IL-6 and GM-CSF by bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC), and bcl-2 protein and mRNA expression in BMSC were measured by CFU-F assay, ELISA, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The results indicated that AMI improved the hematopoietic microenvironment by enhancing the BMSC survival and proliferation of CFU-F, production of IL-6 as well as GM-CSF by BMSC and bcl-2 protein and mRNA expression in BMSC, which promoted myelopoiesis. The data may provide a mechanistic basis for applying this ancient Chinese herb to promote hematopoiesis as an efficacious adjuvant therapy against myelosuppression induced by anti-cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian Qu, Beijing 100083, China. xiaolingzhu88@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Bi-De
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor