Production of lymphocyte-activating factors by mouse macrophages during aging and under the effect of short peptides.

Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine2006PMID: 17426849

Animal StudyIn VitroEpitalon

Plain Language Summary

Researchers found that immune cells from old mice produced fewer lymphocyte-activating factors than those from young mice. Short peptides including Epitalon showed opposite effects on immune cell activity depending on age, enhancing function in old mice while modulating it in young mice, revealing a potential mechanism for correcting age-related immune decline.

Abstract

Age-specific characteristics of production of lymphocyte-activating factor by mouse peritoneal macrophages and modulation of this production by short synthetic peptides (Vilon, Epithalon, and Cortagen) were studied. The production of lymphocyte-activating factors by macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharides in vitro was lower in old animals. The opposite modulating effects of short peptides on the production of lymphocyte-activating factors by resident and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in young and old mice were demonstrated for the first time. This is a possible mechanism of immune system dysfunction during aging, which opens new vistas for its correction with short synthetic peptides.

Authors

Gumen, A V; Kozinets, I A; Shanin, S N; Malinin, V V; Rybakina, E G