Effect of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Ren-Shen-Yang-Rong-Tang (Japanese name: Ninjin-Youei-To), on oligodendrocyte precursor cells from aged-rat brain.
Understanding of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and their role in the generation of oligodendrocytes in developing and adult rodents has been considered, particularly much less is known about aged-rodent oligodendrocyte precursor cells and their cell lineage. In this present study, we have developed oligodendrocyte cultures from the 30-month-old rat brain and examined whether oligodendrocyte precursor cells can proliferate in vitro. Adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells (O1(-), O4(+)) and oligodendrocytes (O1(+), O4(+)) are present in the cultures of the 30-month-old rat brain. They are also capable of proliferating and differentiating in the cultures. These capabilities increased four- to fivefold, when the aged rats are treated with Ninjin-Youei-To for 3 months in comparison with those of control aged rats. These results suggest that Ninjin-Youei-To has a potential mitotic effect on oligodendrocyte precursor cells in aged-rat brains and may be expected to have a therapeutic effect on brain aging.
Kobayashi
Junko
J
Department of Neuro-cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakaecho, Tokyo Itabashi 173-0015, Japan.
Seiwa
Chika
C
Sakai
Tomomi
T
Gotoh
Mari
M
Komatsu
Yasuhiro
Y
Yamamoto
Masahiro
M
Fukutake
Masato
M
Matsuno
Kenjiro
K
Sakurai
Yoko
Y
Kawano
Yukari
Y
Asou
Hiroaki
H
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008934:Mitogens; C072867:ren-shen-yang-rong-tang