title: Beneficial and harmful effects of alcohol exposure on Caenorhabditis elegans worms.
abstract: Alcoholic beverages are consumed widely throughout the world. While the harmful effects of alcoholism are well recognized, the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption to human health remain debatable. In this study, we investigated the effects of long-term ethanol exposure on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans worms. At high concentrations (≥ 4%), ethanol significantly impaired mobility, reduced fertility, and shortened lifespan. Interestingly, at low concentrations (1-2%), it extended lifespan, accompanied with a slower decline of mobility during aging, although it slightly impaired development, fertility, and chemotaxis. The lifespan-prolonging effects of ethanol at the low concentrations were seen in normal worms exposed to ethanol from egg, young larva, and young adult stages but were not observed in age-1 and sir-2.1 mutant worms. Our study demonstrated hormetic effects of ethanol and further established C. elegans as a suitable animal model to study ethanol related problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaokun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wanming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xueqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Zhizhuang J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000502:physiology; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D007328:Insulin; D000431:Ethanol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I