Impact of drug solvents on C. elegans pharyngeal pumping

Protocol to synthesize the auxin analog 5-Ph-IAA for conditional protein depletion in C. elegans using the AID2 system

The auxin-inducible degron (AID) system is a broadly used tool for spatiotemporal and reversible control of protein depletion in multiple experimental model systems. AID2 technology relies on a synthetic ligand, 5-phenyl-indole-3-acetic acid (5-Ph-IAA), for improved specificity and efficiency of protein degradation. Here, we provide a protocol for cost-effective 5-Ph-IAA synthesis utilizing the Suzuki coupling of 5-chloroindole and phenylboronic acid. We describe steps for evaluating the quality of lab-synthesized 5-Ph-IAA using a C. elegans AID2 tester strain.

Hesperidin ameliorates Amyloid-β toxicity and enhances oxidative stress resistance and lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans through acr-16 mediated activation of the autophagy pathway

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in aged populations. Aberrant amyloid-beta accumulation is a common pathological feature in AD patients. Dysfunction of autophagy and impairment of α7nAChR functioning are associated with enhanced amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation in AD patients. Hesperidin, a flavone glycoside found primarily in citrus species, is known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of hesperidin as an antiaging and anti-Aβ phytochemical were unclear. In this study, we found that hesperidin upregulates the acr-16 expression level in C. elegans as evidenced by increased GFP-tagged ACR-16 and GFP-tagged pmyo-3:ACR-16 expression in muscle and ventral nerve cord. Further, hesperidin upregulates the autophagy genes in wild-type N2, evident by increased GFP-tagged LGG-1 foci. However, hesperidin failed to upregulate the autophagy genes level in acr-16 mutant worms that suggests autophagy activation is mediated through acr-16. In addition, hesperidin showed antiaging and anti-oxidative effects, as evidenced by positive changes in different markers necessary for health span and lifespan. Additionally, hesperidin could upregulate acr-16 and autophagy genes (lgg-1 & bec-1) and ameliorates Aβ-induced toxicity as observed with reduce ROS accumulation, paralysis rate, and enhanced lifespan even in worms AD model CL4176 and CL2006 strain. Our finding suggests that hesperidin significantly enhances oxidative stress resistance, prolongs the lifespan, and protects against Aβ-induced toxicity in C. elegans. Thus, acr-16 mediated autophagy and antioxidation is associated with anti-aging and anti-Aβ effect of hesperidin.

Abl depletion via autophagy mediates the beneficial effects of quercetin against Alzheimer pathology across species

Alzheimer's disease is the most common age-associated neurodegenerative disorder and the most frequent form of dementia in our society. Aging is a complex biological process concurrently shaped by genetic, dietary and environmental factors and natural compounds are emerging for their beneficial effects against age-related disorders. Besides their antioxidant activity often described in simple model organisms, the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of different dietary compounds remain however largely unknown. In the present study, we exploit the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a widely established model for aging studies, to test the effects of different natural compounds in vivo and focused on mechanistic aspects of one of them, quercetin, using complementary systems and assays. We show that quercetin has evolutionarily conserved beneficial effects against Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology: it prevents Amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced detrimental effects in different C. elegans AD models and it reduces Aβ-secretion in mammalian cells. Mechanistically, we found that the beneficial effects of quercetin are mediated by autophagy-dependent reduced expression of Abl tyrosine kinase. In turn, autophagy is required upon Abl suppression to mediate quercetin's protective effects against Aβ toxicity. Our data support the power of C. elegans as an in vivo model to investigate therapeutic options for AD.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage induced by a novel pesticide fluopimomide in Caenorhabditis elegans

Fluopimomide is a novel pesticide intensively used in agricultural pest control; however, its excessive use may have toxicological effects on non-target organisms. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used to evaluate the toxic effects of fluopimomide and its possible mechanisms. The effects of fluopimomide on the growth, pharyngeal pumping, and antioxidant systems of C. elegans were determined. Furthermore, the gene expression levels associated with mitochondria in the nematodes were also investigated. Results indicated that fluopimomide at 0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/L notably (p < 0.001) decreased body length, pharyngeal pumping, and body bends in the nematodes compared to the untreated control. Additionally, fluopimomide at 0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/L notably (p < 0.05) increased the content of malondialdehyde by 3.30-, 21.24-, and 33.57-fold, respectively, while fluopimomide at 1.0 and 5.0 mg/L significantly (p < 0.001) increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 49.14% and 77.06% compared to the untreated control. In contrast, fluopimomide at 1.0 and 5.0 mg/L notably reduced the activities of target enzyme succinate dehydrogenase and at 5.0 mg/L reduced the activities of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Further evidence revealed that fluopimomide at 1.0 and 5.0 mg/L significantly inhibited oxygen consumption and at 0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/L significantly inhibited ATP level in comparison to the untreated control. The expression of genes related to the mitochondrial electron transport chain mev-1 and isp-1 was significantly downregulated. ROS levels in the mev-1 and isp-1 mutants after fluopimomide treatments did not change significantly compared with the untreated mutants, suggesting that mev-1 and isp-1 may play critical roles in the toxicity induced by fluopimomide. Overall, the results demonstrate that oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage may be involved in toxicity of fluopimomide in C. elegans.

Effect of DMSO on lifespan and physiology in C. elegans : Implications for use of DMSO as a solvent for compound delivery

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a solvent that has been used for basic and medical research based on its ability to dissolve both polar and non-polar compounds. In order to use DMSO to deliver compounds that may impact longevity or neurodegeneration, it is important to first determine the effects of DMSO on aging and physiology. We examined the effect of different concentrations of DMSO on lifespan and development time in C. elegans. We found that DMSO concentrations up to 2% DMSO did not affect longevity in wild-type worms, while concentrations of up to 0.5% DMSO were compatible with normal development times. 0.5% DMSO also had minimal effect on fertility and movement. In summary, our results show that concentrations of DMSO up to 0.5% can be safely used to deliver compounds to C. elegans with little or no modifying effects on lifespan or physiologic rates.

Acute, Sublethal, and Developmental Toxicity of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) Leaf Preparations on Caenorhabditis elegans as an Invertebrate Model for Human Exposure

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) is a tree native to Southeast Asia with stimulant and opioid-like effects which has seen increased use in Europe and North America in recent years. Its safety and pharmacological effects remain under investigation, especially in regard to developmental and generational toxicity. In the current study, we investigated commercial kratom preparations using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a translational model for toxicity and pharmacological effects. The pure alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as well as aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts of three commercial kratom products were evaluated using a battery of developmental, genotoxic, and opioid-related experiments. As determined previously, the mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine content in kratom samples was higher in the alcoholic extracts than the aqueous extracts. Above the human consumption range equivalent of 15-70 µg/mL, kratom dose-dependently reduced brood size and health of parent worms and their progeny. 7-hydroxymitragynine, but not mitragynine, presented with toxic and developmental effects at very high concentrations, while the positive control, morphine, displayed toxic effects at 0.5 mM. Kratom and its alkaloids did not affect pumping rate or interpump interval in the same way as morphine, suggesting that kratom is unlikely to act primarily via the opioid-signalling pathway. Only at very high doses did kratom cause developmental and genotoxic effects in nematodes, indicating its relative safety.

Using a Caenorhabditis elegans Parkinson's Disease Model to Assess Disease Progression and Therapy Efficiency

Despite Parkinson's Disease (PD) being the second most common neurodegenerative disease, treatment options are limited. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify and screen new therapeutic compounds that slow or reverse the pathology of PD. Unfortunately, few new therapeutics are being produced, partly due to the low throughput and/or poor predictability of the currently used model organisms and in vivo screening methods. Our objective was to develop a simple and affordable platform for drug screening utilizing the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The effect of Levodopa, the "Gold standard" of PD treatment, was explored in nematodes expressing the disease-causing α-synuclein protein. We focused on two key hallmarks of PD: plaque formation and mobility. Exposure to Levodopa ameliorated the mobility defect in C. elegans, similar to people living with PD who take the drug. Further, long-term Levodopa exposure was not detrimental to lifespan. This C. elegans-based method was used to screen a selection of small-molecule drugs for an impact on α-synuclein aggregation and mobility, identifying several promising compounds worthy of further investigation, most notably Ambroxol. The simple methodology means it can be adopted in many labs to pre-screen candidate compounds for a positive impact on disease progression.

An extract of Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae increases health span and mobility in Caenorhabditis elegans

Background

Members of the Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae families which include fruits such as cherries, tomatoes and ginger are known to have health promoting effects. There is growing interest in consuming these “functional foods” as a means to increase health and healthy ageing. However, many studies explore the effect of these foods in isolation, not as a blend of multiple functional foods.

Methods

In this study, an extract containing the dried berries, fruits, and roots of members of these families was prepared, which we called Bioact®180. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was used to evaluate the effects of Bioact®180 on lifespan and health endpoints, including muscle and mitochondria structure and locomotion.

Results

Exposure to the 1000 µg/mL of Bioact®180 extract, containing 4% total phenols, were healthier, as observed by an increase in mean lifespan with and small but significant increase in maximal lifespan. Nematodes exposed to Bioact®180 displayed better mobility in mid-life stages as well as enhanced mitochondrial morphology, which was more comparable to younger animals, suggesting that these worms are protected to some degree from sarcopenia.

Conclusions

Together, our findings reveal that Bioact®180, a blend of fruits and roots from Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae family members has anti-aging effects. Bioact®180 promotes health and lifespan extension in C. elegans, corresponding to functional improvements in mobility.