title: Caenorhabditis elegans: A useful model for studying metabolic disorders in which oxidative stress is a contributing factor.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful model organism that is invaluable for experimental research because it can be used to recapitulate most human diseases at either the metabolic or genomic level in vivo. This organism contains many key components related to metabolic and oxidative stress networks that could conceivably allow us to increase and integrate information to understand the causes and mechanisms of complex diseases. Oxidative stress is an etiological factor that influences numerous human diseases, including diabetes. C. elegans displays remarkably similar molecular bases and cellular pathways to those of mammals. Defects in the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway or increased ROS levels induce the conserved phase II detoxification response via the SKN-1 pathway to fight against oxidative stress. However, it is noteworthy that, aside from the detrimental effects of ROS, they have been proposed as second messengers that trigger the mitohormetic response to attenuate the adverse effects of oxidative stress. Herein, we briefly describe the importance of C. elegans as an experimental model system for studying metabolic disorders related to oxidative stress and the molecular mechanisms that underlie their pathophysiology.
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition, National Institute of Pediatrics, 04530 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Moreno-Arriola
authors: Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Pediatrics, 04530 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors: Noemí
authors: N
authors: Cárdenas-Rodríguez
authors: Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Pediatrics, 04530 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors: Elvia
authors: E
authors: Coballase-Urrutia
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University City, UNAM, 04150 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Pedraza-Chaverri
authors: Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Pediatrics, 04530 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors: Liliana
authors: L
authors: Carmona-Aparicio
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition, National Institute of Pediatrics, 04530 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Ortega-Cuellar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species