title: Decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine and reversing the immunosenescence with extracts of Pu-erh tea in senescence accelerated mouse (SAM).
abstract: Immunosenescence, the progressive decline of adaptive immunity and chronic inflammation with ageing has been demonstrated to be the main factor responsible for infections, cancer and autoimmune conditions in the elderly. Senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) was used to study the protective effects of Pu-erh tea in the elderly. The senile-prone sub-strain, SAM-P8 mice were administered individually with ripened or crude Pu-erh tea at 125, 250 or 500mg/kg. The results showed that Pu-erh tea significantly increased the fractions of naïve T lymphocytes, CD8(+)CD28(+) T lymphocytes and NK cells in the peripheral blood, but decreased the levels of IL-6 in aged mice. These data suggested that the Pu-erh tea reversed the immunosenescence by restoring the immune deficiency and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine. Thus, long term drinking of Pu-erh tea may be beneficial for the aged population in terms of increasing the body's resistance to infection and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wan-fang
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Li-feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Peng-fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Zhi-zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; D013662:Tea