Evaluation of Method of Developing Senescence by Oral Administration of D-galactose

Objective To evaluate method of developing senescence by oral administration of D-galactose.Methods D-galactose was administered to NIH mice and Wistar rats in a daily dose of 70 mg/kg respectively by oral routine and subcutaneous injection to develop senility.Learning and memory retention abilities of the animals were measured by Morris water maze,and monoamine oxidase B(MAO-B) activity in mice brain,superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity malondialdehyde(MDA) level in the liver,and lipofuscin level in myocardium were determined by chemical methods.Results Gain in mice weight was affected by oral administration of D-galactose,and significant difference was not found between the group of oral administration of D-galactose and the control group(P0.05).However,subcutaneous injection of D-galactose resulted in significant suppressed effect on gain in mice weight in the late stages,and significant differences were found as compared to the control group and the group of oral administration of D-galactose.Learning and memory retention abilities in mice and rats were significantly decreased,with a prolongation of time for swimming to the safe platform in water maze.Aniracetam could significantly anagonize D-galactose-induced degradation of learning and memory retention abilities in rats(P0.01).MAO-B activity in mice brain and MDA level in the liver were elevated,SOD) activity in the liver was decreased,and lipofuscin level in myocardium was enhanced in the mice of the group of oral administration of D-galactose.The differences in the indexes between the group of oral administration of D-galactose and the control group were very significant(P0.01),and the significant differences the group of oral administration of D-galactose and the group of subcutaneous injection of D-galactose(P0.05).Conclusion Oral administration of D-galactose can induce senility and its effect is similar to that of subcutaneous injection of D-galactose.