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Yu ZZ, Tu JJ, Ou ML, Cen JX, Xue K, Li SJ, Zhou J, Lu GD. A Mechanistic Analysis of Metformin's Biphasic Effects on Lifespan and Healthspan in C. elegans: Elixir in Youth, Poison in Elder. Mech Ageing Dev 2024:111963. [PMID: 38986790 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2024.111963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Aging, a complex biological process influenced by genetic, environmental, and pharmacological factors, presents a significant challenge in understanding its underlying mechanisms. In this study, we explored the divergent impacts of metformin treatment on the lifespan and healthspan of young and old C. elegans, demonstrating a intriguing "elixir in youth, poison in elder" phenomenon. By scrutinizing the gene expression changes in response to metformin in young (day 1 of adulthood) and old (days 8) groups, we identified nhr-57 and C46G7.1 as potential modulators of age-specific responses. Notably, nhr-57 and C46G7.1 exhibit contrasting regulation patterns, being up-regulated in young worms but down-regulated in old counterparts following metformin treatment. Functional studies employing knockdown approaches targeting nhr-57, a gene under the control of hif-1 with a documented protective function against pore-forming toxins in C. elegans, and C46G7.1, unveiled their critical roles in modulating lifespan and healthspan, as well as in mediating the biphasic effects of metformin. Furthermore, deletion of hif-1 retarded the influence of metformin, implicating the involvement of hif-1/nhr-57 in age-specific drug responses. These findings underscored the necessity of deciphering the mechanisms governing age-related susceptibility to pharmacological agents to tailor interventions for promoting successful aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Zhen Yu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021.
| | - Jia-Jun Tu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021.
| | - Mei-Ling Ou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021.
| | - Jin-Xiong Cen
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021.
| | - Kun Xue
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 200032.
| | - Shao-Jun Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, PR China. 530021.
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021.
| | - Guo-Dong Lu
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 200032; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China, 530021.
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Gao X, Yu J, Zhang L, Shi H, Yan Y, Han Y, Fang M, Liu Y, Wu C, Fan S, Huang C. Mulberrin extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans through detoxification function. J Appl Toxicol 2024; 44:833-845. [PMID: 38291015 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Mulberrin, a naturally occurring flavone found in mulberry and Romulus Mori, exhibits diverse biological functions. Here, we showed that mulberrin extended both the lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. Moreover, mulberrin increased the worms' resistance to toxicants and activated the expression of detoxification genes. The longevity-promoting effect of mulberrin was attenuated in nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) homologous nhr-8 and daf-12 mutants, indicating that the lifespan extending effects of mulberrin in C. elegans may depend on nuclear hormone receptors NHR-8/DAF-12. Further analyses revealed the potential associations between the longevity effects of mulberrin and the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways. Together, our findings suggest that mulberrin may prolong lifespan and healthspan by activating detoxification functions mediated by nuclear receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingxuan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongli Han
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Minglv Fang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengyuan Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengjie Fan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Luthra NS, Clow A, Corcos DM. The Interrelated Multifactorial Actions of Cortisol and Klotho: Potential Implications in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1695. [PMID: 36552155 PMCID: PMC9775285 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12121695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is complex, multilayered, and not fully understood, resulting in a lack of effective disease-modifying treatments for this prevalent neurodegenerative condition. Symptoms of PD are heterogenous, including motor impairment as well as non-motor symptoms such as depression, cognitive impairment, and circadian disruption. Aging and stress are important risk factors for PD, leading us to explore pathways that may either accelerate or protect against cellular aging and the detrimental effects of stress. Cortisol is a much-studied hormone that can disrupt mitochondrial function and increase oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, which are recognized as key underlying disease mechanisms in PD. The more recently discovered klotho protein, considered a general aging-suppressor, has a similarly wide range of actions but in the opposite direction to cortisol: promoting mitochondrial function while reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Both hormones also converge on pathways of vitamin D metabolism and insulin resistance, also implicated to play a role in PD. Interestingly, aging, stress and PD associate with an increase in cortisol and decrease in klotho, while physical exercise and certain genetic variations lead to a decrease in cortisol response and increased klotho. Here, we review the interrelated opposite actions of cortisol and klotho in the pathogenesis of PD. Together they impact powerful and divergent mechanisms that may go on to influence PD-related symptoms. Better understanding of these hormones in PD would facilitate the design of effective interventions that can simultaneously impact the multiple systems involved in the pathogenesis of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nijee S. Luthra
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94127, USA
| | - Angela Clow
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1B 2HW, UK
| | - Daniel M. Corcos
- Department of Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA
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Wise Jr JP. The intersection between toxicology and aging research: A toxic aging coin perspective. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:1014675. [PMID: 36213344 PMCID: PMC9532842 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.1014675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
We are imminently faced with the challenges of an increasingly aging population and longer lifespans due to improved health care. Concomitantly, we are faced with ubiquitous environmental pollution linked with various health effects and age-related diseases which contribute to increased morbidity with age. Geriatric populations are rarely considered in the development of environmental regulations or in toxicology research. Today, life expectancy is often into one's 80s or beyond, which means multiple decades living as a geriatric individual. Hence, adverse health effects and late-onset diseases might be due to environmental exposures as a geriatric, and we currently have no way of knowing. Considering aging from a different perspective, the term "gerontogen" was coined in 1987 to describe chemicals that accelerate biological aging but has largely been left out of toxicology research. Thus, we are challenged with a two-faced problem that we can describe as a "toxic aging coin"; on one side we consider how age affects the toxic outcome of chemicals, whereas on the other side we consider how chemicals accelerate aging (i.e. how chemicals act as gerontogens). Conveniently, both sides of this coin can be tackled with a single animal study that considers multiple age groups and assesses basic toxicology of the chemical(s) tested and aging-focused endpoints. Here, I introduce the concept of this toxic aging coin and some key considerations for how it applies to toxicology research. My discussion of this concept will focus on the brain, my area of expertise, but could be translated to any organ system.
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Agathokleous E. The hormetic response of heart rate of fish embryos to contaminants - Implications for research and policy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 815:152911. [PMID: 34999064 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Evidence of contaminant-induced hormesis is rapidly accumulating, while the underlying mechanisms of hormesis are becoming increasingly understood. Recent developments in this research area, and especially the emergence of the nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) as the master mechanism, suggest that contaminants can induce cardiac hormetic responses. This paper collates significant evidence of hormetic response of the heart rate of fish embryos to contaminants, in particular antibiotics, microplastics, and herbicides, characterized by a low-dose increase (tachycardia) and a high-dose decrease (bradycardia). The increase often occurs at doses about 100-800 times smaller than the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL). There are also indications for even triphasic responses, which include a sub-hormetic decrease of the heart rate by doses over 106 times smaller than the NOAEL. Such sub-NOAEL effects cannot be captured by linear-no-threshold (LNT) and threshold models, raising concerns about environmental health and highlighting the pressing need to consider hormetic responses in the ecological risk assessment. A visionary way forward is proposed, but addressing this research bottleneck would require improved research designs with enhanced ability and statistical power to study diphasic and triphasic responses of heart rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenios Agathokleous
- School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST), 219 Ningliu Rd., Nanjing 210044, China.
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Engin AB, Coleman MD. Telomere attrition may be a more realistic toxicity test for both low and high dose exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 90:103788. [PMID: 34902558 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2021.103788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayse Basak Engin
- Gazi University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Michael D Coleman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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