Astragaloside IV

Astragaloside IV (synonyms Astragaloside A) is a pure small molecular compound isolated from Radix Astragali and is commonly used in the treatment of degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Administration of astragaloside IV reduced blood pressure and triglyceride levels in fructose-fed rats and high dose of astragaloside IV also improved glucose tolerance and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. The astragaloside IV-induced improvement in vasorelaxation was associated with increased levels of aortic NOx and cGMP and was abrogated by blockade of nitric oxide synthase with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). Astragaloside IV (Astragaloside A) has a potent preventive action on myocardial fibrosis in CVB3-induced dilated cardiomyopathy that might be due to downregulation of TGF-β1-Smad signaling.