Aging ; drug effects ; Cerebral Infarction ; drug therapy ; China ; Dementia ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Yang Deficiency ; drug therapy

Neurodegenerative disease is common and frequently occurs in elderly patients. Previous studies have shown that ginsenoside Rg1 was able to inhibit senescent of brain, but the mechanism on the brain during the treatment remains elucidated. To study the mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in the process of anti-aging of brain, forty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, Rg1 normal group, brain aging model group and Rg1 brain aging model group, each group with 10 rats (brain aging model group: subcutaneous injection of D-galactose (120 mg kg(-1)), qd for 42 consecutive days; Rg1 brain aging model group: while copying the same test as that of brain aging model group, begin intraperitoneal injection of ginsenosides Rg1 (20 mg x kg(-1)) qd for 27 d from 16 d. Rg1 normal group: subcutaneous injection of the same amount of saline; begin intraperitoneal injection of ginsenosides Rg1 (20 mg x kg(-1)) qd for 27 d from 16 d. Normal: injected with an equal volume of saline within the same time. Perform the related experiment on the second day after finishing copying the model or the completion of the first two days of drug injections). Learning and memory abilities were measured by Morris water maze. The number of senescent cells was detected by SA-beta-Gal staining while the level of IL-1 and IL-6 proinflammatory cytokines in hippocampus were detected by ELISA. The activities of SOD, contents of GSH in hippo- campus were quantified by chromatometry. The change of telomerase activities and telomerase length were performed by TRAP-PCR and southern blotting assay, respectively. It is pointed that, in brain aging model group, the spatial learning and memory capacities were weaken, SA-beta-Gal positive granules increased in section of brain tissue, the activity of antioxidant enzyme SOD and the contents of GSH decreased in hippocampus, the level of IL-1 and IL-6 increased in hippocampus, while the length of telomere and the activity of telomerase decreased in hippocampus. Rats of Rg1 brain aging group had their spatial learning and memory capacities enhanced, SA-beta-Gal positive granules in section of brain tissue decreased, the activity of antioxidant enzyme SOD and the contents of GSH increased in hippocampus, the level of IL-1 and IL-6 in hippocampus decreased, the length contraction of telomere suppressed while the change of telomerase activity increased in hippocampus. Compared with that of normal group, the spatial learning and memory capacities were enhanced in Rg1 normal group, SA-beta-Gal positive granules in section of brain tissue decreased in Rg1 normal group, the level of IL-1 and IL-6 in hippocampus decreased in Rg1 normal group. The results indicated that improvement of antioxidant ability, regulating the level of proinflammatory cytokines and regulation of telomerase system may be the underlying anti-aging mechanism of Ginsenoside Rg1.
Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Ginsenoside Rb1 is a representative component of panaxadiol saponins, which belongs to dammarane-type tritepenoid saponins and mainly exists in family araliaceae. It has been reported that ginsenoside Rb1 has diverse biological activities. In this paper, the research development in recent decade on its pharmacological effects of cardiovascular system, anti-senility, reversing multidrug resistance of tumor cells, adjuvant anti-cancer chemotherapy, promoting peripheral nerve regeneration, et al, are reviewed.
Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Cardiovascular System ; drug effects ; pathology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Ginsenosides ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Nerve Regeneration ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study whether Danggui Shaoyao Powder (DSP) is by way of improving pineal function to realize its anti-aging effects.

METHODSForty aged rats were randomly divided into the sham operated group (A), the pinealectomized group (B), the sham medicated group (C), the pinealectomized and medicated group (D). The medication given was gastric perfusion of DSP for 3 weeks. Learning and memory ability of rats was observed using Morris water maze and the serum melatonin (MLT) concentration of the rats was measured by radio-immunoassay.

RESULTSThe average escape latency in Group B was significantly longer than that in other groups (P <0.05). The times of passing through the platform and the percentage of swimming distance in Group C were significantly higher than those in other groups (P <0.05). The serum MLT was higher at daytime than at night in Group C and D (P <0.05); that at daytime in Group C was higher than Group A (P <0.05) and also higher in Group D than Group B; that at daytime was higher in Group C than Group D; that at night markedly decreased in Group D as compared with Group B (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONDSP could increase the melatonin secretion and improve learning and memory ability. Since its effects reduced after pinealectomy, it could be deduced that improving pineal function should be one of the action mechanisms for anti-aging.

Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Melatonin ; blood ; Memory ; drug effects ; Pineal Gland ; drug effects ; secretion ; Powders ; Rats

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-aging effects and reveal the underlying mechanism of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi ethanol extract (SBG) in D-galactose-induced rats. Fifty rats were randomly divided into five groups: vehicle control group, D-galactose group, and D-galactose combined with 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) SBG. A rat aging model was induced by injecting subcutaneously D-galactose (100 mg x kg(-1)) for ten weeks. At the tenth week, the locomotor activity (in open-field test) and the learning and memory abilities (in Morris water maze test) were examined respectively. The urine was collected using metabolic cages and analyzed by high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analyses. The SBG at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg x kg(-1) treatments groups could significantly ameliorate aging process in rats' cognitive performance. The 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) SBG regulated citrate, pyruvate, lactate, trimethylamine (TMA), pantothenate, β-hydroxybutyrate in urine favorably toward the control group. These biochemical changes are related to the disturbance in energy metabolism, glycometabolism and microbiome metabolism, which is helpful to further understanding the D-galactose induced aging rats and the therapeutic mechanism of SBG.
Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Galactose ; Memory ; drug effects ; Metabolome ; Metabolomics ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacokinetics ; urine ; Rats ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; chemistry

Aging ; psychology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of Oviductus Ranae (OR) capsules on the reproductive organs in an aged mouse model established by D-galactose injection.

METHODSForty-eight female Kunming mice were randomly divided into 4 equal groups, namely the high- and low-dose OR groups, diethylstilbestrol (DT) group, and model group. The mice received subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 6 weeks to establish aging models. Another 12 mice were injected daily with normal saline (NS) to serve as the normal control group. From the third week of the experiment, the mice were given oral OR at low or high doses (in the OR groups) or vegetable oil (in the model or control groups) till the sixth week. In the last two weeks, the vaginal smears were obtained from the mice for evaluating the changes of the vaginal keratinocytes and counting the days of estrus. After completion of drug administration, all the mice were sacrificed and the serum content of estradiol (E(2)) was detected by radioimmunoassay, with the ovarian and uterine indices determined. The ovarian and uterine pathologies were observed using HE staining, and SOD and MDA activities in the ovary and uterus were also assessed.

RESULTSOR obviously increased E(2) level and the ovarian and uterine indices in the aged mice, also alleviating the pathological change of the ovary and uterus. OR substantially depressed MDA content and enhanced SOD activity in the ovary and uterus.

CONCLUSIONOR has definite antioxidative effects and ameliorates the degenerative changes of the reproductive organs in mouse models of aging.

Aging ; Animals ; Capsules ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Materia Medica ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Ovary ; drug effects ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Uterus ; drug effects ; physiology

Aging ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Female ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Synapses ; drug effects ; metabolism

Progress of studies concerning the protective effect of ginsenoside on central nerve system (CNS) in animals and its mechanism published in recent decade were reviewed in this paper. It showed that ginsenosides could improve the learning capacity and memory in normal, aged animals, as well as in model animals with impaired memory. The mechanism of the protective effect on CNS involves the effects on calcium channel blockade, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, antiperoxidation, estrogen-like action, nitric oxide and its synthase, also the inhibition on cerebral nerve cell apoptosis and amelioration on mitochondrial dysfunction, etc.
Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; drug effects ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Memory ; drug effects ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism

AIMTo study the effects of puerarin on learning-memory behavior of aging mice induced by D-galactose and its possible mechanism of action.

METHODSThe aging mice were induced by s.c. 0.12 g.kg-1 D-galactose for 6 weeks. The aging mice were treated with three doses of puerarin once a day for 5 weeks. The spontaneous behavior and the learning memory behavior were tested in the aging mice using open field and Y-maze at the next day after the last treatment. The structure of Gray I synaptic interface in the CA3 area of the hippocampus was quantitatively analyzed by electronic microscope and computer image processing appliance.

RESULTSCompared with the D-galactose control group, puerarin (60 mg.kg-1) was shown to increase significantly the spontaneous behavior and explorative response in the open field, and improve remarkablely the learning and memory ability of the aging mice induced by D-galactose. Meanwhile, the thickness of post-synaptic density (PSD) was increased, and the width of the synaptic cleft in the hippocampus CA3 area was shortened.

CONCLUSIONPuerarin showed an improvement effect against the memory impairment in the modelling aging-mice induced by D-galactose. A pathological alteration of synaptic interface structure in hippocampus of the mice may be involved in the effect.

Aging ; drug effects ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Female ; Galactose ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Synapses ; drug effects ; pathology