Abstract
- Background
The botanical agent Astragalus membranaceus is a celebrated therapeutic staple in traditional Chinese medicine, widely utilized for its purported restorative, immunomodulatory, and vitality-promoting properties. Despite its long-standing historical application, limited empirical literature exists regarding the comprehensive acute in vivo physiological, hematological, and immunological effects of A. membranaceus administration in the human body. This clinical study was designed to evaluate the systematic physiological responses—including leukocyte and platelet kinetics, circulating cytokine shifts, body temperature variations, and hemodynamic parameters—following the acute in vivo administration of A. membranaceus in healthy human participants.
- Methods
A controlled clinical investigation was conducted involving healthy adult human subjects administered standardized in vivo doses of Astragalus membranaceus. Comprehensive physiological, hematological, and clinical evaluations were systematically performed at baseline and at multi-hour intervals following administration. Primary and secondary measured endpoints included complete blood counts focusing on leukocyte subsets (monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes) and circulating platelet counts, quantification of plasma cytokine levels (specifically interferon-$\gamma$, tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ [TNF-$\alpha$], interleukin-13 [IL-13], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and soluble interleukin-2 receptor [sIL-2R]), systemic blood pressure measurements (systolic and diastolic), core body temperature tracking, and the systematic logging of subjective participant symptoms over a 24-hour observation window.
- Results
Administration of Astragalus membranaceus induced rapid, transient, and statistically significant physiological and immunological alterations in healthy individuals:
Hematological & Leukocyte Kinetics: A distinct dose-dependent increase in circulating monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes was observed 8 to 12 hours post-administration, accompanied by a rapid elevation in circulating platelets as early as 4 hours.
Cytokine Modulation: Dynamic, time-dependent fluctuations occurred in circulating cytokine levels, most notably marked alterations in interferon-$\gamma$, tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$, IL-13, IL-6, and soluble IL-2R.
Hemodynamic & Thermal Responses: Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels exhibited significant reductions within 4 hours post-administration, whereas core body temperature demonstrated a mild, transient increase within 8 hours.
Subjective Symptoms & Recovery: Participants reported mild subjective symptoms characteristic of a transient, viral-type immune activation response, including fatigue, malaise, and headache. Crucially, all physiological, hematological, and clinical parameters completely returned to baseline baseline values within 24 hours.
- Conclusions
Acute in vivo administration of Astragalus membranaceus strongly supports its pharmacological role in priming the human body for a potential immune response, alongside notable acute modulatory effects on peripheral blood flow and vascular tone. These clinical findings provide robust human physiological evidence supporting its traditional therapeutic applications in immune support and wound healing.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4844899/