| Aging is a nature life procedure. Aging is accompanied by the decrease of adaptability to environmental changes, the increase frequency of infections, cancer and autoimmune phenomena. The aged-linked characteristics are rooted from progressive decline of immune function, termed 'immunosenescence1, especially the serious deterioration of T lymphocytes. Vice versa, diseases that conduced with the damaged immune function will accelerate the processes of aging. It is very worthful to study the molecule mechanism of aging as well as the methods of delaying dysfunction of immune system for the successful aging.According to the Traditional Medicine theory, kidney deficiency is a predominant factor of aging. Physiological and biochemical research indicated that tonifying the kidney could slow down the process of aging and prolong life span by adjusting the endocrine, regulating immune and reproduction systems.Aging model is a base to study the methods and the mechanism of delaying aging. The choice of what kind of aging model could directly affect the practical significance of experimental results. Here, 20-month-old mice were selected as nature aging model (3-month-old mice used as young control). 10 month old mice was injected Corticosterone to induce nephrasthenia (im 10mg/kg,for 20 days).The tonifying kidney recipe that had been adopted is typical traditional Chinese recipe. Ginseng and membranous-milkvetch-root that have capability of assisting vital energy were added to the formula to reinforce the effect of tonifying kidney, which was named strengtheningvital energy combined with tonifying kidney (SVE plus TK).Aged-linked alteration in immune response is primarily caused by changes in the T cell compartment. This change of T cell function is a result of multiple factors including proliferation, cytokine production, adhesion molecule expression, DNA binding activity of NF- K. B and activation-induced apoptosis. Hereby, in this study, we observed the changes of markers mentioned above and the effect of Chinese medicines on improving the dysfunction of immune system in aged mice or in mice with nephrasthenia. The results are as follows:1 The study of effect of strengthening vital energy combined with tonifying kidney recipe(SVE) on the proliferation of lymphocytes, expression of IL-2JL-12 gene in aged and nephrasthenia miceThe aged and nephrasthenia mice were treated separately by strengthening vital energy (SVE), tonifying kidney (TK), and strengthening vital energy combined with tonifying kidney(SVE plus TK) via stomach-perfusion for 9 weeks. Lymphocytic proliferation, the levels of IL-2 and IL-12 production, and expressions of IL-2 and IL-12 mRNAs in splenic lymphocytes from the aged and nephrasthenia mice were evaluated by MTT colorimetry, thymus cell proliferation assay, ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. The results showed:1.1 In old control group, the stimulating index(SI) of T,B lymphocytes stimulated by ConA, anti-CD3 or LPS were less than that in young control(p<0.01). After being stimulated by ConA, the activity of IL-2 by splenic lymphocytes from old group was obviously decreased too(p<0.05). The level of IL-12 production in ConA or anti-CD3 stimulated splenic lymphocytes from aged mice seriously reduced (p<0.01) . The expression of IL-2 and IL-12 mRNA decreased about 45%,42% respectively.SI of B cells were observed significantly increase after medication with 3 composite recipes(p<0.05 or p<0.01). And effect of SVE plus TK were better than SVE or TK on promoting SI of T cells(p<0.05). The levels of IL-2 from old mice were risen by 3 kinds of Chinese medicines (p<0.0511or p<0.01) , and the effect of SVE plus TK group was higher as compared to SVE group (p<0.05) , but no differences from TK group.IL-12 release were raised by 3 kinds of recipes too(p<0.05 or p<0.01), but the effect of SVE plus TK was the best ( vs SVE and TK groups p<0.05 ) .SVE,TK and SVE plus TK enhanced the expression of IL-2 mRNA about 19%,67%,105%. The expression of IL-12 mRNA was icreased about...
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