Animal general situations (collected every 4 weeks).

<p>A: body weight in all groups during treatment. B: Blood glucose in all groups during treatment.</p

Schematic diagram of experimental design in vivo.

<p>12 db/m mice were treated with physiological saline as a littermate control. Physiological saline was also given to 12 db/db mice as a negative control. 4.5 mg/kg and 9 mg/kg astragaloside IV were treated to see their effects on db/db mice eyes.</p

Effects of Astragaloside IV on pattern ERG outcomes.

<p>Data are expressed as the mean ± SD. A. Pattern ERG amplitudes in all groups. NC group received significantly decreased amplitudes compared with LC group (NC vs LC, p = 0.037, * p<0.05). Mice in Astragaloside IV treatment groups have increased amplitudes compared with NC group (AL, AH vs NC, p = 0.005, 0.037 respectively. ## p<0.01; # p<0.05). Amplitudes have no significance between AL and AH group. B. Pattern ERG latency in all groups. Astragaloside IV treatment changed the latency, but latency levels did not reveal a statistically significant difference.</p

Pattern ERGs derived from each eye in response to pattern reversal of horizontal gratings in a population of 48 mice aged 28 weeks.

<p>Individual waveforms of each eye are shown superimposed in each group. Mean amplitude in each group is regarded as a consult. A: LC, B: NC, C: AL, D: AH.</p

Effects of astragaloside IV on dissolve blood Aldose reductase (AR) and retina AR activity (mean with SD) in db/db mice.

<p>There is a difference between NC and LC group in AR activity (NC vs. LC, p = 0.000, 0.026 in blood AR, retina AR respectively. ** p<0.01; * p<0.05). Astragaloside IV treatment showed a significance in AR activity compared with NC group. (blood AR: AL, AH vs. NC, p = 0.000, 0.000 respectively. Significance also showed in AL and AH groups. p = 0.000. ^## p<0.01; retina AR: AL, AH vs. NC, p = 0.218, 0.025 respectively. No significance between AL and AH groups. p = 0.159. ^# p<0.05).</p><p>Effects of astragaloside IV on dissolve blood Aldose reductase (AR) and retina AR activity (mean with SD) in db/db mice.</p

Effects of astragaloside IV on the changes in retina protein.

<p>p-ERK/ERK ratio (left) and NF-κB (right) expression in retina protein determined by Western blot. Upper panels are the representative immunoblots of proteins in this area. Bottom graphs show the mean p-ERK/ERK ratio or densitometric quantification of the corresponding bands. GAPDH or Histone3 was used as a loading control. The mean for proteins in db/m mice (LC group) retina was set at 100%. A. p-ERK/ERK ratio: NC vs. LC, p = 0.038. * p<0.05; AL, AH vs NC, p = 0.126, 0.025 respectively. n = 3, # p<0.05). B. NF-κB: NC vs. LC, p = 0.001. ** p<0.01; AL, AH vs. NC, p = 0.001, 0.004 respectively. n = 3, ## p<0.01).</p

Partial list of related cytokine.

<p>Cytokine expression changed in db/db mice and reversed by Astragaloside IV.</p><p>Partial list of related cytokine.</p

The effect of astragaloside IV on the apoptosis of retina cells.

<p>Apoptotic cells were marked with green fluorescence, the nuclei of cells are stained by blue fluorescence (DAPI). A: LC, B: NC, C: AL, D: AH. GCL, retinal ganglion cell layer; IPL, inner plexiform layer; INL, inner nuclear layer; OPL, outer plexiform layer; ONL, outer nuclear layer. Original magnification: ×20; scale bar, 100 mm. Triangles: Apoptotic cells.</p