| It is well known that immune response decreases with aging. Salidroside (SDS),an antioxidant component isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine roserootRhodiola rosea, has been demonstrated to possess potent anti-aging andhealth-promoting activities. However, the mechanism underlying these activities ispoorly understood. In this study, we clearly demonstrated that (1) dietary intake ofSDS induced a considerable increase in total T cells (CD3+) and T helper cells (CD4+)in aged Wistar male rats;(2) SDS supplementation significantly increased the DTHresponse, a T cell-mediated immune response, in aged rats; and (3) SDSsupplementation remarkably promoted the production of total anti-KLH IgG,anti-KLH IgG1and anti-KLH IgG2in aged rats without disturbing immunehomeostasis. These indicate that SDS is able to counteract immunosenescence,thereby resulting in rejuvenation. Pratically, SDS may be used to help the elderly togenerate an improved response to vaccine with stronger humoral and cell-mediatedimmune responses.Glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in GSHbiosynthesis. Several lines indicate that aging process may be related to reduction inGCL in organisms. Here we demonstrated that expression of GCL catalytic subunit(GCLc) and modulatory subunit (GCLm) decreased significantly in the liver, heartand brain from aged rats (22.5-month-old), and GCL activity also declinedsignificantly in all the tissues from aged rats. Notably, the decreases in GCLc andGCLm expression, GCL activity and GCLc and GCLm contents in the livers, heartsand brains from aged rats were resersed by oral administration of salodroside, a strongantioxidant with rejuvenating activity. These data indicate that salidroside is capableof enhancing GCL activity in vivo in aged rats. It also suggests that late onsetnutritional interventions with salidroside may help elder subjects to generate an improved redox state. |
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