Abstract:To investigate the effects of 6-shogaol on oxidative stress in aging mice, a model was established by injecting D-galactose into the abdomen of aging mice. Quercetin and low, medium and high doses of 6-shogaol (6, 12 and 18 mg/kg by body mass, respectively) were administered to mice by gavage. The organ coefficients of the heart, kidneys, and testes was recorded, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect histopathological changes. β-Galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) staining was used to determine the degree of aging of the organs. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of mouse tissues were measured. The organ coefficients were highest in the medium-dose group and significantly higher than those in the aging model group (P<0.05). Pathological sections showed that after 6-shogaol intervention, cardiomyocyte necrosis decreased, the number of renal corpuscles tended to normalize, seminiferous tubule atrophy was improved, and the number of sperm increased. Various tissue and organ sections in the medium-dose 6-shogaol group showed lighter SA-β-Gal staining, and the degree of organ aging was significantly improved compared with the aging model group. Antioxidant enzyme activity was elevated and peroxidation product levels were decreased in the heart, kidneys, and testes of mice in the different 6-shogaol treatment groups than in the aging model group. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px were significantly higher (P<0.05) and the MDA content was significantly lower (P<0.05) in the medium-dose 6-shogaol group than in the aging model group. The findings of this study suggest that 6-shogaol ameliorates oxidative-stress-induced damage to important organs in aging mice.
