title: Comparative approaches to facilitate the discovery of prolongevity interventions: effects of tocopherols on lifespan of three invertebrate species.
abstract: Many compounds hold promise for pharmacologic manipulation of aging. However, such claims are difficult to investigate due to time and budget constraints. Here, we took a comparative approach, using short-lived invertebrate species, to directly test the effects of two tocopherols (Vitamin E) on longevity. gamma-Tocopherol represents the most abundant tocopherol in the Western diet, while alpha-tocopherol is selectively enriched in human plasma. Both isoforms demonstrate antioxidant activity and are proposed to have anti-aging activities. We compared the effects of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol supplementation on lifespan in three invertebrate species. gamma-Tocopherol, but not alpha-tocopherol, slightly extended lifespan in nematodes, but neither significantly affected lifespan in two fly species. This study shows that a comparative approach, utilizing multiple invertebrate species, can increase the robustness of invertebrate-based pilot screens for prolongevity interventions.
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, NIH, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Sige
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liedo
authors.forename: Azucena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oropeza
authors.forename: Avash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Cabo
authors.forename: Donald K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.forename: Dan L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wolkow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects*; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol