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eCAM Advance Access published online on February 20, 2009
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep004
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© 2009 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

A Chinese Herbal Decoction, Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang, Prepared from Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae sinensis, Ameliorates Insulin Resistance Induced by A High-Fructose Diet in Rats

I-Min Liu1, Thing-Fong Tzeng2 and Shorong-Shii Liou1

1Department of Pharmacy, Tajen University, Yanpu Shiang, Ping Tung Shien and 2Department of Internal Medicine, Pao Chien Hospital, Ping Tung City, Taiwan, ROC

Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang (DBT), a Chinese medicinal decoction contains Radix Angelicae sinensis (Danggui) and Radix Astragali (Huangqi) at a ratio of 1:5, is used commonly for treating women's ailments. This study was conducted to explore the effects of this preparation on insulin resistance in rats fed with 6-week diet containing 60% fructose. Similar to the action of rosiglitazone (4 mg kg–1 per day by an oral administration), repeated oral administration of DBT (2.5 g kg–1 per day) for 14 days was found to significantly alleviate the hyperglycemia but made no influence on plasma lipid profiles nor weight gain in fructose chow-fed rats. Also, the higher degree of insulin resistance as measured by homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance in fructose chow-fed rats was significantly decreased by repeated DBT treatment. DBT displays the characteristic of rosiglitazone by increasing the whole-body insulin sensitivity in fructose chow-fed rats after 2-week treatment, as evidenced by the marked elevation of composite whole-body insulin sensitivity index during the oral glucose tolerance test. DBT improves insulin sensitivity through increased post-receptor insulin signaling mediated by enhancements in insulin receptor substrate-1-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase step and glucose transporter subtype 4 translocation in soleus muscles of animals exhibiting insulin resistance. DBT is therefore proposed as potentially useful adjuvant therapy for patients with insulin resistance and/or the patients who wish to increase insulin sensitivity.

Keywords: Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang – fructose – insulin resistance – oral glucose tolerance test

For reprints and all correspondence: I-Min Liu, Department of Pharmacy, Tajen University, Yanpu Shiang, Ping Tung Shien, Taiwan, ROC. Tel: +886-8-762-4002, ext. 319; Fax: +886-8-762-5308; E-mail: iml{at}mail.tajen.edu.tw

Received September 6, 2008; accepted January 13, 2009


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