title: Reserpine can confer stress tolerance and lifespan extension in the nematode C. elegans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, India.
authors.forename: Deepti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Upasna
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arya
authors.forename: Thangavelu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: SoundaraRajan
authors.forename: Hemalata
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Jamuna R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D012110:Reserpine