Comparative study of effects of three kinds of herbal mixture decoctions on improving immune senescence and free radical metabolism.

OBJECTIVE: To verify from the aspects of immune senescence and free radical metabolism that "removing blood stasis as well as tonifying kidney is an ideal way to delay aging" and further investigate the anti-aging mechanism of this therapy. METHODS: In the first period, the old mice were separately fed with the herbal decoction of the recipe of tonifying kidney, or of removing blood stasis, or of tonifying kidney and removing blood stasis for four weeks, and then IL-2 production of splenic lymphocytes, IL-1 production of peritoneal macrophages, SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activity in erythrocytes, and LPO contents in liver and brain were compared between the young control group and the old control group, or the old control group and each of the old medication groups. In the second period, the adult mice inhaled ozone or the splenic lymphocytes from adult mice were cultured in the medium containing peroxide hydrogen. The effects of free radicals on immune system and the reversion of the herbal decoction of the recipe of removing blood stasis as well as tonifying kidney were observed. RESULTS: The activities of IL-1, IL-2, SOD, CAT and GSH-PX in old mice were significantly lower than those in young mice, and LPO contents were higher. The three herbal decoctions all have reversing effects on each of these parameters except that the decoction of removing blood stasis has inhibitory effects on IL-1 and IL-2 production. The effect of the decoction of removing blood stasis as well as tonifying kidney was the best among the three decoctions, and it can also reverse the impaired production of IL-2 by ozone in vivo and peroxide hydrogen in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic method of removing blood stasis as well as tonifying kidney is an ideal way to delay aging, and its effects to improve immune senescence is correlated with the decrease of free radical damages.