Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Int J Mol Med. 2021 Nov;48(5). doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.5032. Epub 2021 Sep 13.
Telomeres, the protective caps of chromosomes, shorten with age, as telomerase, the enzyme responsible for the compensation of telomere erosion, is inactive in the majority of cells. Telomere shortening and subsequent cell senescence lead to tissue aging and age‑related diseases. Neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by the progressive loss of neurons among other hallmarks of aged tissue, and poor cognitive function, have been associated with a short telomere length. Thus, telomerase activity has emerged as a therapeutic target, with novel agents being under investigation. The present study aimed to examine the effects of a novel natural telomerase activator, 'Reverse™', containing extract, vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D3 on the brains of 18‑month‑old rats. The administration of the 'Reverse™' supplement for 3 months restored telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression in the brains of rats, as revealed by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. In addition, the findings from PCR‑ELISA demonstrated an enhanced telomerase activity in the cerebellum and cortex cells in the brains of rats treated with the 'Reverse™' supplement. The histopathological findings confirmed a structural reversibility effect close to the differentiation observed in the young control group of rats treated with two capsules/kg body weight of the 'Reverse™' supplement. On the whole, the findings of the present study provide a strong indication that an increased telomerase activity and TERT expression may be achieved not only in the postnatal or embryonic period, but also in the brains of middle‑aged rats through nutraceutical supplementation. The use of the 'Reverse™' supplement may thus contribute to the potential alleviation of a number of central nervous system diseases.
端粒是染色体的保护性帽，随着年龄的增长而缩短，因为负责补偿端粒侵蚀的端粒酶在大多数细胞中是无活性的。端粒缩短和随后的细胞衰老导致组织老化和与年龄相关的疾病。神经退行性疾病的特征是神经元逐渐丧失以及老化组织的其他标志，以及认知功能差，与端粒长度较短有关。因此，端粒酶活性已成为治疗靶点，正在研究新的药物。本研究旨在研究一种新型天然端粒酶激活剂“Reverse”（含）、维生素 C、锌和维生素 D3 对 18 个月大大鼠大脑的影响。通过 ELISA 和免疫组织化学分析，发现“Reverse”补充剂给药 3 个月可恢复大鼠大脑中的端粒酶逆转录酶（TERT）表达。此外，PCR-ELISA 的结果表明，用“Reverse”补充剂处理的大鼠小脑和皮质细胞中的端粒酶活性增强。组织病理学检查结果证实了结构逆转效应，其接近用“Reverse”补充剂 2 个胶囊/千克体重处理的年轻对照组大鼠的分化。总的来说，本研究的结果强烈表明，通过营养补充不仅可以在出生后或胚胎期，而且可以在中年大鼠的大脑中提高端粒酶活性和 TERT 表达。因此，使用“Reverse”补充剂可能有助于潜在缓解多种中枢神经系统疾病。
