Aging Reversibility: from Thymus Graft to Vegetable Extract Treatment – Application to Cure an Age-associated Pathology

Abstract

Neonatal thymus graft and thymus calf extract (TME) in vivo treatment exert similar corrective actions on different mouse age-related alterations. The aim of the present paper is to investigate whether a vegetal extract, wheat sprout extract (WESPRE), could mimic the thymus action on recovering age-related alterations and if this extract can cure an age-associated pathology, the cataract in dogs. Present experiments were carried out by using WESPRE and TME in vivo in old mice to check their ability to recover the altered DNA synthesis in hepatocyte primary cultures. Old mice treated with WESPRE and TME showed a recovery of hepatocyte DNA synthesis levels when compared with the old untreated ones. The increase of DNA and protein contents observed in aged animals is reduced by WESPRE treatments to levels observed in young mice hepatocytes. We measured also WESPRE phosphorylation activity by endogenous kinase: it was from 10 to 40 times higher with respect to wheat seeds. Old dogs were orally treated for a month and the lens opacity analysed before and after the treatment. Results showed a reduction from 25 to 40% of lens opacity. The efficacy of wheat sprouts in the recovery of age-related alterations and in treating age-associated pathologies could be due to the contemporary presence of small regulatory acid peptides, a remarkable level of highly energetic phosphoric radicals and antioxidant molecules, peculiarities that may be, to some extent, related to the aging process regulation.

Wheat sprout extract-induced apoptosis in human cancer cells by proteasomes modulation

“…Wheat sprout is a major source of antioxidant molecules and is able to protect against age-related alterations [6,8,12]. Furthermore, we recently characterized the composition of wheat sprout hydroalcoholic extract, reporting high levels of catechin, epicatechin and epigallocatechin gallate, and additionally demonstrating that this extract is able to inhibit the 20S proteasome functionality in vitro and in Caco cells [34].…”

“…Specifically, green tea extracts, grapes and wine derived polyphenols can protect neurons from amyloidb-induced damages in Alzheimer's disease [4] and down-regulate pro-apoptotic genes like Bad and Bax in SH-SY5Y cells [5]. Additionally, several papers reported on the chemopreventative effects of various natural plant extracts [6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Aging of thymus gland and immune system

“…Whether age-associated cataract in dogs could be cured or not, using thymus calf extract, remains a question for further studies. 32 In cell-free extracts of mice thymus, there was no significant change in the activity of the proteolytic enzymes during thymus involution or during aging of the mice. On the contrary, the rate of protein synthesis diminished rapidly during involution, and continued to decrease at a slower rate during aging.…”

Antioxidant and Pro-Oxidant Activities of Savoy Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Sabauda) Sprout Extracts

“…Old dogs orally treated for a month with wheat sprouts powder show a reduction of lens opacity from 25% to 40% (Basso et al . ).…”

“…The administration of wheat sprout extracts to old mice is able to reactivate isoproterenol-induced DNA synthesis, bringing the values to the range found in young animals. Old dogs orally treated for a month with wheat sprouts powder show a reduction of lens opacity from 25% to 40% (Basso et al 2005).…”