title: Guiqi polysaccharide protects the normal human fetal lung fibroblast WI-38 cells from H2O2-induced premature senescence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is to investigate the effects of Guiqi polysaccharide (GQP) on H2O2-induced premature senescence in normal human fetal lung fibroblast WI-38 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  WI-38 cells were subjected to treatments of GQP, Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), and Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide (AMP), and then treated with H2O2 to induce premature senescence. Morphological observation, MTT assay, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity assessment, telomerase activity determination, cell cycle analysis, and Western blot analysis were performed to evaluate cellular senescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H2O2 treatment induced premature senescence in WI-38 cells, as indicated by the decreased fibroblast proliferation activity and changed cellular morphology. When treated with GQP, ASP, or AMP, the morphological changes in WI-38 cells induced by H2O2 could be restored. SA-β-gal activity was elevated in H2O2-treated WI-38 cells, which could be decreased by GQP treatment. Moreover, compared with the normal control, H2O2 treatment significantly inhibited the telomerase activity of WI-38 cells. However, GQP effectively elevated the telomerase activity of these senescent cells. Furthermore, flow cytometry and cell cycle analysis showed that GQP treatment could abrogate the cell cycle arrest in H2O2-treated WI-38 cells, which might contribute to the anti-senescent effects. In addition, GQP significantly affected the p53-p21 and p16-pRb pathways in H2O2-treated WI-38 cells. The effectiveness of GQP was superior to AMP or ASP treatment alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GQP has protective effects in oxidative stress-induced senescence. Our findings suggest the promising role of GQP as an attractive and bio-safe agent with the potential to retard senescence and attenuate senescence-related diseases.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; The Key Lab of Screening, Evaluation and Advanced Processing of TCM and Tibetan Medicine, Gansu Educational Department Lanzhou 730050, China.
authors.forename: Xiuying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; The Key Lab of Screening, Evaluation and Advanced Processing of TCM and Tibetan Medicine, Gansu Educational Department Lanzhou 730050, China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; The Key Lab of Screening, Evaluation and Advanced Processing of TCM and Tibetan Medicine, Gansu Educational Department Lanzhou 730050, China.
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; The Key Lab of Screening, Evaluation and Advanced Processing of TCM and Tibetan Medicine, Gansu Educational Department Lanzhou 730050, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; The Key Lab of Screening, Evaluation and Advanced Processing of TCM and Tibetan Medicine, Gansu Educational Department Lanzhou 730050, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; The Key Lab of Screening, Evaluation and Advanced Processing of TCM and Tibetan Medicine, Gansu Educational Department Lanzhou 730050, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D029971:Angelica sinensis; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005333:Fetus; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity; D008168:Lung; D016877:Oxidants / Q000633:toxicity; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016877:Oxidants; D011134:Polysaccharides; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Guiqi polysaccharide (GQP); WI-38 cells; angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP); astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide (AMP); cellular senescence; hydrogen peroxide