Ginger and alpha lipoic acid ameliorate age-related ultrastructural changes in rat liver

Mitochondrial dysfunction and its association with age-related disorders

Aging is a complex process that features a functional decline in many organelles. Various factors influence the aging process, such as chromosomal abnormalities, epigenetic changes, telomere shortening, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction significantly impacts aging because mitochondria regulate cellular energy, oxidative balance, and calcium levels. Mitochondrial integrity is maintained by mitophagy, which helps maintain cellular homeostasis, prevents ROS production, and protects against mtDNA damage. However, increased calcium uptake and oxidative stress can disrupt mitochondrial membrane potential and permeability, leading to the apoptotic cascade. This disruption causes increased production of free radicals, leading to oxidative modification and accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations, which contribute to cellular dysfunction and aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting from structural and functional changes, is linked to age-related degenerative diseases. This review focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction, its implications in aging and age-related disorders, and potential anti-aging strategies through targeting mitochondrial dysfunction.

Modulatory effect of ginger on skeletal malformations, cell cycle, apoptosis and structural changes in the liver of rat fetuses prenatally exposed to labetalol

Background

Drug-induced liver damage with clinical symptoms has been related to labetalol in a number of instances. In addition to having a wide range of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, ginger also includes biotrace that are crucial in the fight against disease and skeletal deformity. In this study, we hypothesized that prenatal supplementation of ginger (200 mg/kg) attenuates skeletal malformation and hepatotoxicity mediated by labetalol during the organogenesis period. The tested dams were divided into four groups: control, ginger (200 mg/kg), labetalol (300 mg/kg) and combined group (labetalol and ginger at the same doses).

Results

The labetalol group showed various skeletal abnormalities represented by mandibular hypoplasia, costal separation and retardation in the ossification. Histological and ultrastructural examination of the fetal liver tissue revealed multiple pathological changes. DNA damage, G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and a high percentage of apoptosis were also detected in the fetal hepatocytes from labetalol groups through gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry using PI and annexin V/PI methods, respectively. Administration of ginger after labetalol caused an evident decrease in these skeletal malformations, structural changes, DNA damage, apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that ginger has great potential in attenuating the skeletal malformation, structural changes and cyto-genotoxicity of fetal hepatocytes upon prenatal exposure to labetalol.

Ergothioneine and its prospects as an anti-ageing compound

Healthy ageing is a crucial process that needs to be highlighted as it affects the quality of lifespan. An increase in oxidative stress along with ageing is the major factor related to the age-associated diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders. An antioxidant-rich diet has been proven to play a significant role in the ageing process. Targeting ageing mechanisms could be a worthwhile approach to improving health standards. Ergothioneine (EGT), a hydrophilic compound with specific transporter known as OCTN1, has been shown to exert anti-ageing properties. In addition to its antioxidant effect, EGT has been reported to have anti-senescence, anti-inflammatory and anti-neurodegenerative properties. This review aims to define the pivotal role of EGT in major signalling pathways in ageing such as insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signalling (IIS), sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) and mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTOR) pathways. The review further discusses evidence of EGT on neurodegeneration in its therapeutic context in various model organisms, providing new insights into improving health. In conclusion, an ergothioneine-rich diet may be beneficial in preventing age-related diseases, resulting in a healthy ageing population.

Understanding the Unique Microenvironment in the Aging Liver

In the past decades, many studies have focused on aging because of our pursuit of longevity. With lifespans extended, the regenerative capacity of the liver gradually declines due to the existence of aging. This is partially due to the unique microenvironment in the aged liver, which affects a series of physiological processes. In this review, we summarize the related researches in the last decade and try to highlight the aging-related alterations in the aged liver.

Can intranasal administration of adipose-derived stem cells reach and affect the histological structure of distant organs of aged wistar rat?

Introduction

Stem cell therapy is a highly promising strategy in various degenerative diseases. Intranasal administration of stem cells could be considered as a non-invasive treatment option. However, there is great debate concerning the ability of stem cells to reach distant organs. It is also unclear in such a case if they can alleviate age-related structural changes in these organs.

Aim

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of intranasal administration of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to reach distant organs of rats at different time intervals and to investigate their effects on age-related structural changes in these organs.

Materials and Methods

Forty-nine female Wistar rats were used in this study, seven of which were adults (6-month-old) and 42 were aged (2-year-old). Rats were divided into three-groups: Group-I (adult control), Group-II (aged), and Group-III (aged ADSCs treated). Rats of Groups I and II were sacrificed after 15 days from the beginning of the experiment. Rats of Group III were treated with intranasal ADSCs and were sacrificed after 2-h, 1-day, 3-day, 5-day, and 15-day. Heart, liver, kidney, and spleen specimens were collected and processed for H and E, CD105 immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescent techniques. Morphometric study and statistical analysis were performed.

Results

ADSCs appeared in all organs examined after 2-h of intranasal administration. Their maximum presence was detected after 3-day of administration, after which their immunofluorescence gradually decreased and nearly disappeared from these organs by the 15^th day. Improvement of some age-related deterioration in the structure of the kidney and liver occurred at day 5 after intranasal administration.

Conclusions

ADSCs effectively reached the heart, liver, kidney, and spleen after intranasal administration. ADSCs ameliorated some age-related changes in these organs.

Is 6-Shogaol an Effective Phytochemical for Patients With Lower-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome? A Narrative Review

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) evolves due to genomic instability, dysregulated signaling pathways, and overproduction of inflammatory markers. Reactive oxygen species contribute to the inflammatory response, which causes gene damage, cellular remodeling, and fibrosis. MDS can be a debilitating condition, and management options in patients with MDS aim to improve cytopenias, delay disease progression, and enhance quality of life. High serum ferritin levels, a source of iron for reactive oxygen species production, correlate with a higher risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia, and iron overload is compounded by blood transfusions given to improve anemia. 6-shogaol is a natural phenolic compound formed when ginger is exposed to heat and/or acidic conditions, and it has been shown to possess anti-tumor activity against leukemia cell lines and antioxidant effects. This narrative review assessed the potential benefits of this phytochemical in lower-risk MDS patients through examining the current evidence on the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of ginger and 6-shogaol.

Zingiber officinale formulation reduces hepatic injury and weight gain in rats fed an unhealthy diet

This study investigated the ability of formulation containing Zingiber officinale (ginger) to reverse health changes promoted by unhealthy diet in Wistar rats. Five compounds from the gingerol family and three from the shogaol family were identified in the chromatographic analyzes of the extract. The animals were fed a combination of unhealthy foods, the cafeteria diet, which promoted increases in body weight, hepatocyte nucleus area, total hepatocyte area and liver fat accumulation, as well as reduced hepatic glutathione S-transferase concentration, compared to the control group, which received commercial chow. The treatment with ginger improved all these results, highlighting the reduction of 10% of body weight and 66% of the total area of lipid droplets deposited, compared to the group that received the cafeteria diet. Ginger treatments also attenuated lipid peroxidation, with a mean reduction of 41% in malondialdehyde levels and a mean increase of 222% in glutathione S-transferase activity in the liver. The cafeteria diet and ginger extract did not promote significant changes in glycemic and lipid profile, liver weight and liver enzymes compared to the control group. We suggest that ginger can have beneficial effects on health complications associated with unhealthy diet, such as excessive adiposity, oxidative stress and hepatic injury.

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on the liver of perimenopausal rat: multiple doses study

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a widespread nutritional "anti-aging" supplement. Exogenous supplementation of DHEA is now being commonly used to augment ovarian stimulation in perimenopausal women with diminished ovarian reserve. Whether DHEA causes side effects in such age is, however, unknown. Thus, this study investigates the effects of pharmacological doses of DHEA supplementation on the liver of perimenopausal rats. DHEA supplementation to perimenopausal rats resulted in slight hepatomegaly and steatosis, hepatocytic hypertrophy, mitochondrial swelling, elevation in serum alanine aminotransaminase levels, in addition to the accumulation of lipid droplets and lipolysosomes in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, long-term administration of high doses of DHEA causes ultrastructural alterations and changes in the levels of cholesterol and triglyceride in hepatocytes of perimenopausal rats. DHEA at a dose of 50 mg/kg improves health and decreases the body weight, with the least side effects on the liver of perimenopausal rats.

Multiple Roles of Mitochondria in Aging Processes

Aging is a multifactorial process influenced by genetic factors, nutrition, and lifestyle. According to mitochondrial theory of aging, mitochondrial dysfunction is widely considered a major contributor to age-related processes. Mitochondria are both the main source and targets of detrimental reactions initiated in association with age-dependent deterioration of the cellular functions. Reactions leading to increased reactive oxygen species generation, mtDNA mutations, and oxidation of mitochondrial proteins result in subsequent induction of apoptotic events, impaired oxidative phosphorylation capacity, mitochondrial dynamics, biogenesis and autophagy. This review summarizes the major changes of mitochondria related to aging, with emphasis on mitochondrial DNA mutations, the role of the reactive oxygen species, and structural and functional changes of mitochondria.