The Study On Brain-protective Effects Of Escin To D-Galactose Induced Aging Mice

The population of aged individuals is increasing world-wide and this has significant health and socio-economic implications.Clinical and experimental studies on aging have discovered myriad changes in the brain,including reduced neurogenesis,increased synaptic aberrations,higher metabolic stress and augmented inflammation.In rodent models of aging,these alterations are associated with cognitive decline,neurobehavioral deficits and increased reactivity to immune challenges.Considerable evidence has been accumulated demonstrating an important role for inflammation and its contribution to greater cerebral damage in aging process.Blocking the inflammatory reaction promotes neuroprotection and shows therapeutic potential for treatment of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease.Escin,a natural mixture of triterpenoid saponin isolated from the seed of the horse chestnut,demonstrates antiedematous and anti-inflammatory effects.Here we assessed neuroprotective effects of escin using D-galactose(D-gal)induced aging mice.The aging model mice were induced by intraperitoneal(i.p.)injection of D-gal once daily for 12 weeks and escin(4mg/kg,10mg/kg,25mg/kg)was simultaneously administered orally.The channel water maze test was used to assess the spatial Learning and memory abilities.Acetylcholinesterase(AChE)activity,advanced glycosylation end products(AGEs)level,content of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde(MDA),Superoxide Dismutase(SOD)activity,tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)level,interleukin-1β(IL-1β)level,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)activity and histological pathology in brain were determined.After the channel water maze test,then the physiological and molecular analysis were done in the research,the results were as followed:(1)D-galactose could increase the level of AGEs,MDA,TNF-α,IL-1β,increase the activity of AchE,iNOS and decrease the activity of SOD in the brain of normal mice.These results showed that the D-galactose induced aging mice model was built successfully.(2)Escin could decrease the level of AGEs,MDA,TNF-α,IL-1β,decrease the activity of iNOS and increase the activity of SOD in the brain of D-gal induced aging mice.These results revealed that escin could significantly ameliorate damage in the brain of D-gal induced aging mice through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.(3)In our research,D-galactose could not induce the spatial learning and memory impairment of normal mice.Escin could significantly ameliorate damage in the brain of D-gal induced aging mice but whether escin could ameliorate the spatial learning and memory impairment of D-gal induced aging mice remained to be studied.(4)Different doses of escin had different brain-protective effects to D-gal induced aging mice.In conclusion,escin could significantly ameliorate damage in the brain of D-gal induced aging mice through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.