The key to a healthy, functioning
immune system rests with the thymus gland, a small
organ lying just beneath the breastbone. The primary
role of the thymus is to assist in the proliferation
and differentiation of mature T-lymphocytes – cells
that attack and kill viruses and bacteria. T-cells
emerge from bone marrow in an incomplete state. In
order to function properly the immature T-cells must
first migrate to the thymus gland where they are programmed
to mature into one of three types of specialized T-cells
that orchestrate the immune response, attack and destroy
invading viruses and cancer cells, and suppress killer
cells by signaling the termination of an attack.
In our early twenties we have an
abundance of well-functioning T-cells that regulate
the immune system and help the body fight off pathogens
and disease. After age 20, the thymus begins to shrink
(atrophy) and thymic cells progressively die off to
be replaced by fat and connective tissue. By about
age 40 the output of thymic hormones has decreased
significantly and T-cells have begun to lose their
effectiveness. It is this gradual loss of functioning
T-cells that is thought to be responsible for many
of the age-related changes in the immune system that
gradually rob the body of its ability to fight off
infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
Antiaging
Effects of Vital Cell in Rabbits
To evaluate the effects of Vital Cell on organ health,
Chinese researchers conducted a two-year trial with
two identical groups of rabbits. One group was treated
with Vital Cell daily, and the second, untreated group
served as a control. At the end of the study, the researchers
compared the organs of both test groups of elderly
rabbits to those of young, healthy juvenile rabbits.
When examining the treated rabbits
the researchers noted that thymus glands of the old
animals receiving Vital Cell retained the structure
and functionality of glands normally seen only in young,
health rabbits. Conversely, the thymus glands of the
old, untreated control rabbits were severely atrophied,
weighing less than a third of their normal weight,
and consisting primarily of inactive fat and connective
tissues. Similar results were observed when the researchers
compared tissues samples gathered from the brain, heart,
liver, kidneys, spleen and other organs. In each case,
the organs of Vital Cell-treated animals displayed
the form and function of tissues normally only seen
in younger subjects.
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THYMUS
- Aged rabbit
Weight is 1 gram, severe
atrophy, heavy fatty infiltration
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THYMUS
- Treated rabbit
Weight is 2 grams, firm
mass,
slight atrophy, no fatty infiltrate
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Full
Study and Color Slides are presented below.
Materials: 20
4-month-old, healthy purebred New Zealand rabbits,
10 males and 10 females each weighing 2kg. (Supplied
by Shanghai Laboratory Animal Center of China Academy)
Grouping: Rabbits
were divided randomly into two groups of 10, labeled
Group A (the administration group) and Group B (the
control group).
Feeding: Every
rabbit in both groups is fed in a separated cage in
the same room. All are observed under room temperature.
The feeding of rabbits is strictly defined according
to time and quantity.
Observation
Index and Methods
Method: After
2 years of treatment researchers randomly selected
one male and one female rabbit from each group (A -treatment
and B-control). Researchers also selected one male
and female rabbit from a group of 6-month-old, healthy
purebred New Zealand rabbits weighing 2kg each. This
group was labeled Group C (young, healthy controls).
Researchers randomly
numbered all 6 rabbits and, after etherizing them,
obtained tissue samples from for examination with both
optical and electron microscopes. Tissues were prepared
for optical microscope by fixing with formalin, paraffin
section, HE staining, weight elastic fiber staining
on the myocardium and coronary arteries, and NAP staining
fixed by acetone for womb tissues.
Tissue samples for
the electron microscope were fixed with 2.5% sporicidin,
embedded with expoxide resin,
prepped into ultra-thin sections and stained with
acetate uranium and citrialuminum.
Observation
Index: Researchers examined tissue samples
from the thymus glands, hearts, lungs, livers, spleens,
kidneys, brains, wombs and testes/womb of the 6 rabbits
from Group A, B, and C under optical microscope.
Researchers examined
tissue samples from the livers of all 6 rabbits and
testes of the 3 male rabbits from Group A, B, and C
under electron microscope.
Results
of Observation with Optical Microscope
Thymus gland: The
weight of the thymus gland of the rabbits in Group
A was 2g. The atrophy of the thymus gland was relatively
slight. The weight of the thymus gland of the rabbits
in Group B was 1g, the cells of the thymus gland decreased
and adipose tissues overgrew. The weight of the thymus
gland of the rabbits if Group C was 3g and the tissues
and structure remained normal.
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Thymus - Old rabbit
Thymus with severe atrophy,
heavy fatty infiltration
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Thymus - Treated rabbit
Firm mass, only slight
signs of atrophy
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Heart: There were
very few micro-fiber foci in the myocardium of the
rabbits in Group A. The pathological changes in the
coronary arteries were not obvious, and the elastic
intima was clear. The myocardium of the rabbits in
Group B was fiberized. There were deposits of lipofuscin.
The collagen fibers of the coronary arteries overgrew,
the intima became thickened irregularly and the elastic
intima split and proliferated. The myocardium and coronary
arteries of the rabbits in Group C kept normal.
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Heart - Old rabbit
Sclerosis of coronary artery,
thickened intima, fibrosis
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Heart - Treated rabbit
Slight myocardial fibrosis and
unclear coronary sclerosis
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Lung: There were
no obvious pathological changes in the blood vessels
of the lungs of the rabbits in Group A. The wall of
the arteriole of the lungs of the rabbits in Group
B thickened and the arteriole became narrower. The
blood vessels of the lungs of the rabbits in Group
C were normal.
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Lung - Old rabbit
Thickening of small arteries,
narrowing of arterioles
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Lung - Treated rabbit
No thickening or damage
to small artery walls
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Liver: There was
a little blood stagnation of the liver in the rabbits
of Group A, but the atrophy of the hepatic cells was
not very obvious. Very little lipofuscin was found.
There was obvious blood stagnation and atrophy of the
liver and obvious atrophy of the hepatic cells in the
rabbits of Group B. Deposits of lipofuscin could be
found. The livers of the rabbits in Group C were normal.
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Liver - Old rabbit
Stagnant blood, lipofuscin
deposits in cells
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Liver - Treated rabbit
Absence of blood stagnation,
no lipofuscin in cells
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Spleen: There was
no blood stagnation of the spleen in Group A. The walls
of the central arteries of the splenic corpuscles thickened
slightly. There was blood stagnation of the spleen
in Group B, and the walls of the central arteries of
the splenic corpuscles thickened thus causing the arteries
to become narrower. The rabbits in Group C were normal.
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Spleen - Old rabbit
Vessel wall thickening of central
arteries in splenic corpuscle
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Spleen - Treated rabbit
No vessel wall thickening of
arteries in splenic corpuscle
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Kidney: There was
no obvious unit decrease of the kidney of the rabbits
in Group A. Under the view of 10 lower diameters, 300
glomeruli could be found. However, there was unit decrease
of the kidney of the rabbits in Group B. Under the
view of 10 lower diameters, some 230 glomeruli could
be found. The walls of arteriole in the kidney thickened
and became narrower. In the rabbits of Group C, about
330 glomeruli were found under the view of 10 lower
diameters.
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Kidney - Old rabbit
Decrease in nephrons
with few glomeruli
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Kidney - Treated rabbit
Slight decrease in nephrons
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Brain: The soft
meninx of the rabbits in Group A did not thicken. The
blood vessels expanded, but there was no obvious blood
stagnation. The soft meninx of the rabbits in Group
B, thickened, and the blood vessels of the lower part
of the arachnid membrane expanded. There was evidence
of blood stagnation. Part of the blood vessels of the
brain became spuriously calcified. The rabbits in Group
C were normal.
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Brain - Old rabbit
Calcification of arterial vessels,
thickening of soft meninx
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Brain - Treated rabbit
No thickening of soft meninx,
slight expansion of vessels
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Uterus: There was
the enlargement of uterus in the rabbits of Group A,
and the intima thickened. AKP staining showed (-) for
the rabbits of Group A. There was atrophy of the womb
in the rabbits of Group B. The womb became narrower,
and the intima was thinner. AKP staining showed (+).
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Uterus - Old rabbit
Thinning oftunica intima
of the uterine lining
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Uterus - Treated rabbit
No thinning of tunica intima
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Testis: There was
no obvious atrophy of the spermaduct in the rabbits
of Group A, and there was a large amount of sperm.
There was atrophy of the spermaducts in the rabbits
of Group B and the sperm cells of various kinds were
degenerated, reducing the number of sperm.
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Testis - Old rabbit
Atrophy of the seminiferous
tubules, reduced sperm
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Testis - Treated rabbit
No atrophy of the seminiferous
tubules, healthy sperm
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Results
of Observations with Electron Microscope
Liver: In
Group A, the nuclei were either circular or oval, while
the nuclear membrane was clear. The nucleoli had a
thread-like structure. The nuclear chromatin was well
distributed. The shape and volume of the mitochondria
in Group A were similar to those in the healthy young
rabbits. They were thick with numerous endoplasmic
reticulum. Reticulation enlargement was not apparent.
In Group B, the nuclei
had an irregular shape. The nucleoli were separated
and had lost their thread-like structure. Around the
nucleoli, the chromatin had increased. Cytoplasmic
mitochondria were swollen and shortened, and their
shape was irregular. The dilatation of endoplasmic
reticulum decreased. Lipofuscin deposits could be observed.
In Group C, the mitochondria
were slightly enlarged. Their other structures were
normal.
Testis: In
Group A, no atrophy of convoluted tubule was observed,
and there were no apparent degenerative changes in
spermatoblasts of different levels. The nuclei or cell
organs had a clear structure.
In Group B, the convoluted
tubule was found to have shrunk. Spermatoblasts of
different levels and sterol cells showed degenerative
changes. Nuclear chromatin condensed. Denaturation
of intracytoplasmic cell organs and their obscure structure
could be observed.
Results
In Group B, thymus glands,
womb and testis displayed noticeable shrinkage. Coronary
sclerosis, myocardial focal fibrosis, lipofuscin deposits
and nephronal decrease were common. The use of an electron
microscope revealed patent degenerative changes in
the nucleoli and mitochondria of hepatic cells and
convoluted tubule cells, accompanied by lipofuscin
deposits.
In Group A, fewer pathologic
changes were apparent. In comparison to Group C, the
organic functions in Group A were normal.
