Influences of 6-furfuryloaminopurine on Peripheral T Lymphocyte Subpopulations and Apoptosis of Thymus Lymphocytes of Aging Rats

Abstract

Background: 6-furfuryloaminopurine (KT) is the first compound to be identified as a cytokinin. Despite that there are many studies related to KT but the mechanism of KT in resisting immunosenescence remains unclear. The objective of this study is to investigate the influences of KT on the immunity of thymus in rats by detecting the apoptosis and the proliferation index (PI).Methods: We firstly established an aging rat model by subcutaneously injecting D- galactose (D-gal, 125mg/kg•BW) in the dorsal neck of Sprague Daly rats (SD rats); then the rats were divided into KT treatment groups (three groups for different doses of KT), aging model group (without KT treatment) and young control group. The rats in KT treatment groups were treated with different-dose KT and the key indices including the changes of the number of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood, the apoptosis of thymus lymphocytes. Result: KT could increase the number of the peripheral CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of the aging rats while decreased the apoptotic rate of thymocytes and increased PI Index.