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The Effects of Glucose Exposure on C. Elegans in the Context of the Obesity Paradox

AJAS · 2020 Biomedical and Health Sciences (inferred)

Emily Gaw · New Hampshire Science Academy

Overview

Lifelong ingestion of glucose has been proven to significantly shorten lifespan in C. elegans, a worm with an evolutionarily conserved insulin signaling pathway, similar to that of humans. This study examines the effect of periodic high-glucose exposure on the lipid levels, fecundity, and lifespan in C. elegans. It was hypothesized that increases in glucose administration after a certain unknown point would decrease the lifespan of worms, increase lipid levels, and decrease fecundity. To administer the glucose-shocks, the worms were periodically transferred to glucose and OP50 E. coli seeded plates throughout their two-week lifespan. A counterintuitive, positive correlation was observed between glucose exposure and survival rates. The worms given a constant supply of glucose lived a statistically significant 14.5% longer than the control groups fed only OP50 (p=0.004907). Lipid levels and fecundity followed the expected trend, offering assurance that the worms were ingesting the glucose. This unexpected correlation with survival rates is a supporting data point for the “Obesity Paradox” theory, which argues that there is a positive correlation between excess weight and increased life expectancy, especially during illness. This study further adds to the Obesity Paradox by suggesting that the correlation between excess weight and life expectancy extends to organisms exposed from the earliest stages of life, prior to any illness. Further studies could aid in understanding what is driving the Obesity Paradox – whether the advantage comes from the excess body fat maintaining homeostasis (e.g. absorbing and reducing free radicals) or whether the excess body fat itself is positively influencing specific biological functions (e.g. actively disrupting harmful chemical reactions).

Competition history

  • AJAS 2020 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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