Comparative Study on Anti-aging Effect Between Hedysari Radix Polysaccharides and Astragali Radix Polysaccharides in Rats

OBJECTIVE To compare the anti-aging effects between Hedysari Radix polysaccharides and Astragali Radix polysaccharides, to provide a theoretical and experimental basis to achieve the full medicinal value of Hedysari Radix as well as the clinical alternative access for Astragali Radix. METHODS Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, Hedysari Radix group, Astragali Radix group and vitamin E group, 10 rats in each group. No treatment with blank group and the other groups' rats were injected D-galactose solution for 6 weeks continuously to built an aging model, then gavaged with physiological saline, Hedysari Radix polysaccharides, Astragali Radix polysaccharides and vitamin E solution respectively 1 time a day for 6 weeks. The level of SOD and MDA and activities of GSH-Px and MAO of rats brain in each group were detected by ELISA. Immunohistochemical method and Western blot method was used to detect the expression of protein Bax and Bcl-2 in rats brain respectively. RESULTS Compared with model group, the level of MDA and activities of GSH-Px in Hedysari Radix group and Astragali Radix group were significantly decreased(P<0.01), with SOD level and MAO activity obviously increased(P<0.01). There were no difference of SOD, MDA, GSH-Px between the Hedysari Radix group and Astragali Radix group, but the MAO activity in Astragali Radix group was higher than Hedysari Radix group(P<0.01). The results of immunohistochemical and Western blot methods both showed that the expression of protein Bax in model group was significantly higher than blank group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with model group, the expression of protein Bax in Hedysari Radix group and Astragali Radix group were decreased and protein Bcl-2 increased(P<0.01). Besides, the expression of protein Bax and Bcl-2 in Hedysari Radix group and Astragali Radix group had no difference. CONCLUSION There are similar effect on anti-aging in rats between Hedysari Radix polysaccharides and Astragali Radix polysaccharides, which may be related to anti-oxidative stress and inhibit cell apoptosis.