ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study whether Lycium barbarum glycopeptide 3 (LBGP3) affects T cell apoptosis in aged mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>LBGP3 was purified with DEAE cellulose and Sephadex columns. Apoptotic "sub-G1 peak" was detected by flow cytometry and DNA ladder was resolved by agarose gel electrophoresis. Levels of IFN-gamma and IL-10 were measured with specific kits and mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR. Apoptosis-related proteins of FLIP, FasL, and Bcl-2 were determined by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>LBGP3 was purified from Fructus Lycii water extracts and identified as a 41 kD glycopeptide. Treatment with 200 microg/mL LBGP3 increased the apoptotic rate of T cells from aged mice and showed a similar DNA ladder pattern to that in young T cells. The reversal of apoptotic resistance was involved in down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and FLIP, and up-regulating the expression of FasL.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Lycium barbarum glycopeptide 3 reverses apoptotic resistance of aged T cells by modulating the expression of apoptosis-related molecules.</p>