Cell-mediated and humoral immune responses are attenuated with aging. Intracellular
glutathione (GSH) levels also decrease with aging. Previously, we have reported that combined administration of (
L)-cystine and (L)-
theanine enhances
antigen-specific
IgG production, partly through augmentation of GSH levels and T helper 2-mediated responses in 12-week-old mice. These findings suggest that combined administration of (
L)-cystine and (L)-
theanine to aged mice improves immune responses via increase of GSH synthesis. Here, we examined the effects of combined administration of (
L)-cystine and (L)-
theanine on
antigen-specific antibody production and influenza virus
infection in aged mice. Combined administration of these
amino acids for 14 days before primary immunization significantly enhanced the serum
antigen-specific
IgM and
IgG levels in 24-month-old mice. Furthermore, 13-month-old mice co-treated with these
amino acids orally for 10 days had significantly lower lung viral titers than controls at 6 days after influenza virus
infection. In addition, this co-treatment also significantly prevented the
weight loss associated with
infection. Enhancement of anti-influenza-virus
IgG antibodies by combined administration of (
L)-cystine and (L)-
theanine was seen 10 days after
infection. The significantly elevated serum
interleukin-10/
interferon-gamma ratio and
gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase mRNA expression, which is the rate-limiting
enzyme of GSH synthesis, in the spleen 3 days after
infection may have contributed to the observed beneficial effects. These results suggest that combined administration of (
L)-cystine and (L)-
theanine enhances immune function and GSH synthesis which are compromised with advanced age, and may become a useful strategy in healthy aging.