[The protective roles of tiangui gengnian soft capsule on brain in aged female rats and its mechanism].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the brain-protective and anti-aging effects and the mechanism of action of Tiangui Gengnian Soft Capsule (TGSC), a Chinese herbal preparation composed of sea buckthorn fatty acids.


METHODS
Sixteen-month-old female rats were administered via gastric perfusion with low, medium and high doses (0.72 g/kg, 1.80 g/kg and 4.5 g/kg) of TGSC for 180 days. The 3-month and 22-month old rats were taken as controls. Expression of estrogen receptor beta(ERbeta), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the brain of rats were observed and analyzed using immunohistochemical technique, and changes in the number of neurons and glial cells were counted with Nissl's staining.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemistry showed the number of ERbeta- and TH-positive neurons in the hypothalamus was significantly higher (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05), G-CSF-positive astrocyte stain was much weaker (P < 0.01) and the expression of VEGF-positive cerebral vessel was stronger (P < 0.05) in the TGSC treated groups than those in the control. Nissl's staining showed no significant difference in the number of neurons and glial cells among groups.


CONCLUSIONS
TGSC could up-regulate the expressions of ERbeta, TH and VEGF in the brain of aged female rats, modulate the responsibility of astrocyte and its G-CSF expression, suggesting that TGSC may have certain neuro-protective and anti-aging effects.
Li
Yuan-Jie
YJ
Tiankui Medical and Biological Company of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an.
Song
Tian-Bao
TB
Zhao
Xuan
X
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D031281:Hippophae; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents