通过建立D-半乳糖致衰老模型，研究虾青素对衰老大鼠肾脏和心脏组织氧化损伤的修复作用。实验设空白组、模型组、虾青素低、中、高（5、10、15 mg/kg）剂量组和二甲双胍（MET）阳性对照组。检测肾脏和心脏系数，肾脏和心脏组织中过氧化氢酶（CAT）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px）活力和丙二醛（MDA）含量等指标，观测苏木精-伊红染色（HE）病理组织切片。结果表明，与模型组相比，虾青素能改善D-半乳糖造成的肾脏和心脏系数下降，减少肾脏和心脏组织中MDA含量，并显著提高抗氧化物酶（SOD、CAT、GSH-Px）活力。其中，高剂量组（15 mg/kg）大鼠肾脏和心脏中MDA含量显著降低了70.48%和38.02%（p<0.01），对于SOD、CAT和GSH-Px活力，肾脏中分别提高了37.22%、43.73%和52.01%（p<0.01），心脏中分别提高了85.47%、52.08%和64.77%（p<0.01）。病理切片显示虾青素能有效缓解肾脏和心脏组织的氧化损伤。以上结果全面揭示虾青素能通过减轻氧化应激来抑制衰老大鼠肾脏和心脏组织的损伤，其机制可能与抗氧化有关。

The protective effects of astaxanthin against oxidative damage of the kidney and heart tissues in aging rats were investigated through establishing a D-galactose-induced aging animal model. The experiments included a blank group, model group, low-, medium- and high-dose astaxanthin (5, 10, 15 mg/kg) groups, and metformin (MET) positive control group. The renal and cardiac coefficients were measured, along with the indexes such as the contents of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the kidney and heart tissues. The H&E (hematoxylin-eosin) stained pathological tissue sections were examined. The results showed that compared with the model group, astaxanthin could ameliorate the decreases of the renal and cardiac coefficients caused by D-galactose, reduce the contents of MDA in the kidney and heart tissues, and significantly increase the activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px. In the high-dose group (15 mg/kg), the MDA contents in the kidney and heart of rats significantly decreased by 70.48% and 38.02% (p<0.01), and the activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px increased by 37.22%, 43.73% and 52.01% (p<0.01), respectively, in the kidney, and increased by 85.47%, 52.08% and 64.77% (p<0.01), respectively, in the heart. The examination of the pathological sections showed that astaxanthin could effectively alleviate oxidative damage of the kidney and heart tissues. These results suggested that astaxanthin can inhibit the damage of kidney and heart tissues in aging rats by alleviating oxidative stress, and the mechanism may be related to antioxidant actions.

国家自然科学基金项目（32172195）；广东省自然科学基金项目（2019A1515011391）