Reserpine can confer stress tolerance and lifespan extension in the nematode C. elegans.
Though the lifespan extension mechanism is partly understood from C. elegans to mice, a viable pharmacological intervention is not yet feasible. Here, we report that reserpine largely known as an antipsychotic-antihypertensive drug, can extend C. elegans lifespan. Chronic reserpine treatment from embryo stage or young adults extends the C. elegans lifespan robustly at 25 degrees C. Most importantly, the reserpine treated long lived worms are active (locomotion and pharyngeal pumping) for a long time thereby conferring high quality throughout life. Reserpine mediated lifespan extension is independent of the daf-16 pathway and partly requires serotonin. Reserpine treatment makes the worms highly thermotolerant. Thus, in addition to its known function, reserpine is able to provide stress tolerance and lifespan extension in C. elegans.
Srivastava
Deepti
D
Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, India.
Arya
Upasna
U
SoundaraRajan
Thangavelu
T
Dwivedi
Hemalata
H
Kumar
Sandeep
S
Subramaniam
Jamuna R
JR
D000064:Acclimatization; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D012110:Reserpine