From the age of 6 months until their natural deaths, female CBA mice were given melatonin with their drinking water (20 mg/l) for 5 consecutive days every month. Intact mice served as controls. The results of this study show that the consumption of melatonin did not significantly influence food consumption, but it did increase the body weight of older mice; it did not influence physical strength or the presence of fatigue; it decreased locomotor activity and body temperature; it inhibited free radical processes in serum, brain, and liver; it slowed down the age-related switching-off of estrous function; and it increased life span. However, we also found that treatment with the used dose of melatonin increased spontaneous tumor incidence in mice. For this reason, we concluded that it would be premature to recommend melatonin as a geroprotector for long-term use.

Subcutaneous administration of vilon (Lys-Glu) to female CBA mice starting from the 6th month of life increased physical activity and endurance, decreased body temperature, prolonged the lifespan, and prevented the development of spontaneous neoplasms. Vilon had no effect on age-related changes of estrous function and free radical processes. Long-term administration of vilon caused no unfavourable effects on animal development. The obtained results show safety of chronic vilon administration and allow to use this preparation for geroprotection and prophylaxis of age pathology.

No abstract

The effects of epiphyseal peptides (1 microg/ml) on the release of immunoglobulins into the incubation medium by isolated Peyer's patches from non-immunized mice and mice immunized orally against ovalbumin were studied during 40-min incubations. The possibility that epiphyseal peptides act on adrenoreceptors of cells in secondary lymphoid organs in the small intestine was assessed using alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor blockers, i.e., phentolamine HCl (0.02 mg/ml) and anaprilin (0.06 mg/ml) respectively. Basal levels of secretory activity in control Peyer's patches from immunized rats were 2.4 times (p < 0.01) greater than for the lymphoid organs of non-immunized animals. The effects of epiphyseal peptides on the secretory activity of antibody-forming cells depended on the functional state of Peyer's patches. Application of epiphyseal peptides led to a 35% increase (p < 0.05) in the release of immunoglobulins from Peyer's patches in non-immunized rats and a 25% decrease (p < 0.05) in the release of antibody into the incubation medium from the lymphoid organs of immunized animals. These data lead to the suggestion that the activatory effect of epiphyseal peptides on antibody-forming cells in Peyer's patches from non-immunized animals is associated with alpha-adrenoceptors, while their inhibitory action on immunoglobulin release by the small intestine lymphoid organs from immunized animals is not mediated via adrenoceptors.