Abstract
All normal human somatic cells have a finite number of times that they can divide and when this limit is reached cells are described as cellular senescent. Telomere shortening has been attributed as a main mechanism for cellular aging and for the lack of cellular functions associated with aging. Unlike what is seen in most somatic cells, in activated T cells telomerase activity is upregulated, resulting in increased telomere length. However, this brief period of telomerase induction only delays cellular senescence. Naturally, there is a great deal of interest in finding inducers of telomerase that may help delay the onset of cellular aging. There are various nutraceuticals that claim to both increase the health of individuals and delay the onset of cellular aging. We tested the nutraceuticals resveratrol and cycloastragenol for their ability to enhance T cell functions in vitro. In this study we evaluated the effect of these compounds on cellular proliferative capacity, levels of telomerase activity, surface markers and cytokine secretion of human CD4 and CD8 T cells. Our results show that cycloastragenol moderately increase telomerase activity and proliferative capacity of both CD4 and CD8 T cells. These preliminary results suggest that nutraceuticals inhibit the onset of CD4 and CD8 cellular senescence.
