Aronia melanocarpa supplementation and thymic age alterations in rats

Abstract

Progressive thymic involution, a sign of aging leads to loss of immune function associated with T-cell immunity and increased susceptibility to infections, risk for development of autoimmune diseases and neoplasms in adults. It has been shown that the thymic tissue is a plastic tissue and the process of involution can be delayed and even therapeutically reversed. The use of antioxidants is one potential therapeutic approach for slowing the immunity aging. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Aronia melanocarpa juice either pure or enriched with 1% pectin on some markers of thymus involution in mature rats. It was used a model of spontaneous aging rats supplemented with antioxidant beverages for 12 weeks. The results show significant alterations in the organomethric parameters between younger and older controls, which proves the adequacy of the model chosen. Supplementation with antioxidant nutraceuticals does not affect organomethric parameters, but leads to a delay of the age-related alterations in the histological structure of the thymus - distinct preservation of the structure of the lobules and reduced quantity of interlobular connective tissue. Aronia melanocarpa and pectin supplementation exhibits a significant stimulating effect on the CD3+ thymocite subpopulation according to the intensity of the immunoreaction. On the aspect of the CD4+ and CD8+ subpopulations, the differences do not reach significance. No significant differences were established on the serum levels of IL6. Aronia melanocarpa juice supplementation leads to a retardation of some of the age-related alterations of the thymus on a microstructural level. It exhibits a thymocyte stimulating effect on the CD3+, but does not affect the CD4+ and CD5+ parameters (the intensity of the immunoreaction) of mature T-lymphocytes.