School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, East Road, North 3rd Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China.
School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Sunshine South Street, Fangshan District, Beijing, 100102, China.
Eur J Med Res. 2020 Jun 29;25(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s40001-020-00420-7.
In the present work, we investigated the effects of aqueous extract of Maca (AEM) on energy metabolism and immunoregulation in spleen-deficient mice.
We established a cyclophosphamide-induced spleen-deficiency model with ginseng, a herb that strengthens splenic function, as a control. Sixty male Kunming mice were randomly divided among 5 groups: normal, model, ginseng control (1.5 g/kg), AEM high dose (1.5 g/kg), and AEM low dose (0.75 g/kg). All animals, except those in the normal group, were injected with cyclophosphamide to induce spleen deficiency. Furthermore, we investigated differences in the thermotropic behaviors of mice using the Animal Thermotropism Behavior Surveillance System to detect energy metabolism-related assays and immune regulation assays.
Mice given AEM exhibited tropism in response to hot plate exposure. AEM inhibited loss of body weight and immune organ atrophy caused by cyclophosphamide, increased the cAMP/cGMP ratio in blood, and enhanced the activities of Na-K-ATPase, Ca-Mg-ATPase, lactate dehydrogenase, and hepatic glycogen. AEM significantly reversed declining white blood cells and platelet counts, and increased the hemoglobin content within peripheral blood cells. AEM improved the protein levels of IFN-γ, TNF-β, IL-2, and IL-4 in the spleen.
Maca possesses the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) property of warm and appears to strengthen spleen function.
本研究旨在探讨玛咖水提物（AEM）对脾阳虚证模型小鼠能量代谢和免疫调节的影响。
采用环磷酰胺致脾阳虚证模型，以人参为阳性对照药，将 60 只雄性昆明种小鼠随机分为 5 组，即正常组、模型组、人参对照组（1.5 g/kg）、AEM 高剂量组（1.5 g/kg）、AEM 低剂量组（0.75 g/kg）。除正常组外，其余各组小鼠均腹腔注射环磷酰胺造模，采用动物热刺激行为监测系统观察各组小鼠的热趋性行为，检测能量代谢相关指标和免疫调节指标。
AEM 可使环磷酰胺所致脾阳虚证模型小鼠出现热趋性，AEM 可抑制环磷酰胺所致的小鼠体重减轻和免疫器官萎缩，升高血中环磷酸腺苷（cAMP）/环磷酸鸟苷（cGMP）比值，增强 Na+-K+-ATP 酶、Ca2+-Mg2+-ATP 酶、乳酸脱氢酶和肝糖原的活性，显著改善白细胞和血小板计数降低，提高外周血红细胞中血红蛋白含量，改善脾组织中干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）、肿瘤坏死因子-β（TNF-β）、白细胞介素-2（IL-2）和白细胞介素-4（IL-4）的蛋白表达水平。
玛咖具有温阳的中药特性，可增强脾功能。
