Anti-aging effect and gene expression profiling of dung beetle glycosaminoglycan in aged rats

• Published in: Biomaterials research 2017, 21(2), , pp.73-85
• Main Authors: Ahn, Mi Young, Kim, Ban Ji, Kim, Ha Jeong, Hwang, Jae Sam, Jung, Yi-Sook, Park, Kun-Koo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Acetone; Adipogenesis; Adipose tissue; Age; Aging; Alcohol; Amino acids; Anti-aging effect; Anticoagulants; Antimicrobial activity; Apoptosis; Bactericidal activity; Biochemistry; Blood levels; Bone healing; Diabetes; Digestion; Drug abuse; Dung beetle (Catharsius molossus); Ethanol; Fetuses; Food; Gene expression; Glycosaminoglycan; Kinases; Laboratory animals; Longevity; Metabolism; Neurodegeneration; Obesity; Older people; Oxidation; Physiology; Pregnancy; Proteins; Queen of B. ignitus; Rodents; Vasoconstriction; β-Amyloid; 의공학
• ISSN: 1226-4601; 2055-7124; 2055-7124
• DOI: 10.1186/s40824-017-0091-9

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-aging effect of a newly prepared insect-derived compound, dung beetle glycosaminoglycan (GAG), given intraperitoneally to old SD rats as part of their diet for 1 month. Insect GAG administration was found to be related to a reduction in oxidative damage, hepato-cellular biomarker levels, protein carbonyl content, and malondialdehyde concentration. The anti-aging-related molecular genetic mechanisms of dung beetle GAG are not yet fully elucidated. (a type of dung beetle) GAG (CaG) possessed anti-aging activities; it reduced the serum level of creatinine kinase, had aortic vasorelaxant activities and cardioprotective actions, and maintained a normal glucose level in treated rats. Microarray analysis was performed with a rat 30 K cDNA clone set array to identify the gene-expression profiles of 14-month-old SD rats treated with dung beetle glycosaminoglycan 5 mg/kg (CaG5) over a 1-month period, which was done to investigate its anti-aging effect as compared to that of either (a type of bumblebee) queen GAG 5 mg/kg (IQG5) or chondroitin sulfate 10 mg/kg. CaG5 and IQG5 had marked anti-inflammatory effects, bringing about inhibition of free fatty acid, uric acid, sGPT, IL-1 beta, and CK values. In addition, anticoagulant and antithrombotic effects were seen: the concentration of factor 1 (fibrinogen) was increased in CaG- treated rat plasma. The CaG5-treated rat group, compared to the control, displayed upregulation of 131 genes, including lipocalin 2 (Lbp) and a serine peptidase inhibitor, Kaszal type3 (Spink3), and 64 downregulated genes, including lysyl oxidase (Lox), serine dehydratase (sds), and retinol saturase (Retsat). Our data suggest that dung beetle glycosaminoglycan may be a helpful treatment for aged rats, which indicates its potential as a therapeutic biomaterial for aging.