The Animal Experiments Evaluation Of The Anti-brain-aging Activity Of Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a red-orange carotenoid pigment which exists in aquatic organisms.It has not only powerful antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties,but also property of throughing the blood brain barrier.Based on these special functional activity,some research about brain protection function have been made in recent years.We have known that astaxanthin effectively inhibit cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,prevent retina oxidation and the nerve cells apoptosis.These studies revealed the brain protection effect of astaxanthin from different sides,but the protection effect and mechanism of astaxanthin in brain function decline issues,such as brain aging or neurodegenerative disease,have not been reported.In this article,the anti-brain-aging activity of astaxanthin and the mechanism were explored.In this article,the rats were divided into control group(Con),brain aging group(D-G),astaxanthin group(D-G+AST)and astaxanthin control group(AST).In brain aging group and astaxanthin group,rats received daily subcutaneous injection of D-galactose at a dose of 300 mg/kg to produce brain aging model.Then astaxanthin group rats received astaxanthin emulsifier at a dose of 0.02%of food intake at a frequency of three times weekly or seven times weekly by oral gavage.Contrary,brain aging group rats received emulsifier exclude astaxanthin at same dose and frequency.Control group and astaxanthin control group rats received daily subcutaneous injection of saline at same dose,then received astaxanthin-excluded emulsifier and astaxanthin emulsifier respectively at same dose and frequency.Examinating biochemical indicator of rats brain after 8 week treatment.(1)The results showed that T-SOD and GSH-PX activity were decreased,GSH and T-AOC level were reduced,MDA and 8-OHdG content were increased in brains of aging group rat.Compared with brain aging group,in brains of astaxanthin group rats,T-SOD and GSH-PX activity were increased,GSH and T-AOC level were restored,MDA and 8-OHdG content were reduced.The results proved that astaxanthin could enhanced anti-oxidative capacity and reduced biological macromolecule oxidative damage in brain of aging rats.(2)The results showed that the expression of COX-2 and Bax were rised,and the expression of Bcl-2 were decreased.Compared with brain aging group,in brains of astaxanthin group rats,the expression of COX-2 and Bax were decreased,and the expression of Bcl-2 were rised.These proved that astaxanthin could restrained inflammatory response and mitochondrial dysfunction in brains of aging rats.(3)In brains of aging rats,the expression of BDNF were cut down,and the expression of BDNF in hippocampus were decreased,and the normal neurone were reduced in hippocampus.Compared with brain aging group,in brains of astaxanthin group rats,the expression of BDNF were increased,and the expression of BDNF in hippocampus were enhanced,and normal neurone were restored in hippocampus.Owing to the increase of BDNF in hippocampus,the growth and repair capacity of neurone were restored in aging rats hippocampus.In conclusion,Astaxanthin inhibited oxidative stress,inflammatory response and mitochondrial dysfunction,restored the expression of BDNF and protected normal neurone in hippocampus,to ameliorate D-galactose-induced aging in rats brain.The results reveals new functional activity and mechanism of astaxanthin,and provide new clues and theoretical basis on preventing from neurodegenerative disease.