Physiological and biochemical changes of mimetic aging in rats

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2004.10.020

Abstract：BACKGROUND: The animal model of aging with the induction of D-galactose leading to the subacute poisoning of animals has been established for many years and is playing an important role in the selection and research of drugs against aging. However, the mechanism of aging remains unclear. Chinese researchers think that aging may be resulted from the production of free radicals,but the related data are not sufficient.OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of aging data of Wistar rats in the subacute aging model induced by subcutaneous injection with D-galactose.DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial study.SETTING, MATERIALS and INTERVENTION: This research was conducted in the Animal Experiment Center, General Hospital of Air Force of PLA. A total of 20 male Wistar rats were divided randomly into aging model group and control group with 10 rats in each. The control rats were injected subcutaneously with 10 mL/kg saline each day, and the rats of the aging model group with 48 mg/kg D-galactose each day. After 42 days of continuous injection, we collected the blood samples and determined aging-related data.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The effects of aging on the visceral coefficients of body, thymus and spleen of rats, the blood data and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and lipid peroxide(LPO) in the sennn of rats, and the levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride(TG).RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the weight of the aging model rats increased slowly. The thymus of these rats shriveled significantly, and the visceral coefficient decreased as well( t =3.5, P ＜ 0. 01) . In addition, SOD activity in the serum of these aging rats declined markedly(t =3.06, P ＜0. 01). The other data had no obvious changes.CONCLUSION: The aging model established by the mimic aging reaction induced with D-galactose can be used for the research of mechanism of aging triggered by free radicals.