Research Paper Advance Articles

Figure 1. Administration of LKU4 inhibits AT senescence during aging. LKU4 or PBS was administered daily to 10-month-old C57BL/6J male mice for 10 or 14 months during feeding with a normal diet (ND). The 2-month-old ND-fed C57BL/6J male mice were designated as the young group. (A) SA-β-gal staining of inguinal WAT (iWAT) from aged (24-month) mice with or without LKU4 administration (n = 5). (B) Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in iWAT from each group of mice (n = 3). (C) Immunofluorescence staining images (green, γH2AX; blue, DAPI) and Western blot (WB) analysis of γH2AX in iWAT from each group (n = 3). Scale bars, 10 μm. (D, E) RT-qPCR analysis of cellular senescence-associated gene, SASP, and adipokine gene expression in iWAT (D) and plasma SASP and adipokine levels (E) of 2-month-old and 24-month-old mice (n = 3). (F) Plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in each group of mice (n = 3). (G) Forelimb grip strength, rotarod, and hanging endurance tests in 20-month-old control and LKU4 mice (n = 5). (H) Rectal temperature was measured at 25° C (0 h) and 4° C for different durations (2–12 h) in 24-month-old mice (n = 8). (I) Plasma insulin levels, glucose tolerance test, and insulin tolerance test in 24-month-old mice (n = 7–8). All data are expressed as the mean ± S.E.M. * p < 0.05, *** p < 0.01. The lowercase letters above the graphs indicate statistical significance at p < 0.05.