Abstract
Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides (PSP), the extract of Polygonatum sibiricum, are demonstrated to exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. A recent study reported that PSP alleviated the aging of the kidney and meninges. However, the effect of PSP on heart aging remains unclear. The present study is aimed at investigating the protection of PSP on D-galactose- (D-gal-) induced heart aging. Results showed that irregularly arranged cardiac muscle fibers were observed in heart tissues of D-gal-treated mice, and the levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase (CK), p21, and p53 were increased after D-gal treatment. D-gal-induced heart aging and injury can be attenuated by oral administration of PSP. Moreover, PSP also decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the hearts of D-gal-treated mice. DNA damages and lipid peroxidation induced by oxidative stress were also inhibited by PSP as indicated by reduced levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE). Collectively, PSP attenuated D-gal-induced heart aging via inhibiting oxidative stress, suggesting that PSP might serve as a potential effective Chinese herbal active constituent for antiaging therapy.