Abstract
Chinese prescription Kangen-karyu, comprised of six crude drugs, has received much attention due to its numerous biological activities. The present study reports the anti-aging potential of Kangen-karyu and its related mechanisms under in vivo conditions with senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) and aging rats, and in a cellular system with stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS). Kangen-karyu attenuated oxidative stress by the inhibition of free radical generation and lipid peroxidation under the SAM model, suggesting its anti-aging potential. In addition, investigation with the in vivo natural aging model also showed that Kangen-karyu and its main crude drug, Tanjin, played protective roles against protein modification and lipid peroxidation in serum and tissue with aging. In particular, Kangen-karyu exerted a stronger anti-aging effect than Tanjin, suggesting that Tanjin contributes synergistically to the anti-aging activity of Kangen-karyu. Kangen-karyu also regulated the glutathione redox cycle, working primarily to maintain mitochondrial function against the leakage of reactive oxygen species from mitochondria, and led to the inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) to nuclear translocation and regulation of related protein expressions such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, heme oxygenase-1, bax, and bcl-2 proteins. Furthermore, under the SIPS cellular model, Kangen-karyu extract showed an anti-aging activity and led to increased longevity through the attenuation of oxidative damage with the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and cell cycle regulation. Its anti-aging activity results from modulations of NF-κB and the expressions of its related proteins. The present study suggests that Kangen-karyu has a promising anti-aging potential against oxidative stress-induced aging processes.
