Protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on splenocytes and thymocytes in an aging rat model induced by d-galactose

Physiological aging is associated with a range of medical problems. However, the treatment of aging-associated diseases and prolonging human life are vital to our current aging societies. Panax ginseng, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to have anti-oxidative and anti-aging effects. In the current study, aging rats induced by d-galactose were administered ginsenoside Rg1, then splenocytes and thymocytes were extracted and changes in activity were detected. The results demonstrated that compared with the d-gal group, the level of advanced glycation end products (AGE), the ratio of splenocytes and thymocytes in G0 phase (%), and apoptosis (%) of splenocytes and thymocytes, the ratio (%) of SA-gal positive splenocytes and thymocytes, the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the ratio of glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and senescence-associated protein expression were significantly decreased and the index of the spleen and thymus, the proportion of white pulp in the spleen, the proportion of cortex in the thymus, the content of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the proliferative capacity of splenocytes and thymocytes were increased in the Rg1+ d-gal group. These findings demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg1 may antagonize spleen and thymus damage in d-galactose-induced aging rats by alleviating oxidative stress injury and down-regulating the expression of senescence-associated protein.