Anti-aging effect of astragalosides and its mechanism of action.

AIM: To study the anti-aging effect of astragalosides (AST) and its mechanism of action. METHODS: Rotating rod test and step-down type passive avoidance test were performed to determine the effects of AST on motor and memory of D-galactose (D-gal)-induced senescent mice and the middle-aged mice. The proliferative response of splenocytes induced by Con A or LPS, IL-2 production of splenocytes induced by ConA of D-gal-treated mice and the middle-aged mice were also measured. RESULTS: AST (40 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), ig, for 10 weeks) was found to ameliorate age-related alternations in both motor response and memory, enhance the deteriorated cellular immunity in D-gal-treated mice and the pre-aged (17-month-old) mice. CONCLUSION: AST has an anti-aging effect on D-gal-induced senescent mice and has the effect of delaying senility of the middle-aged mice, which was related to its improvement of brain function and immunomodulatory effects.