Sex differences in oxidative stress resistance in relation to longevity in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Gender differences in lifespan and aging are known across species. Sex differences in longevity within a species can be useful to understand sex-specific aging. Drosophila melanogaster is a good model to study the problem of sex differences in longevity since females are longer lived than males. There is evidence that stress resistance influences longevity. The objective of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between sex differences in longevity and oxidative stress resistance in D. melanogaster. We observed a progressive age-dependent decrease in the activity of SOD and catalase, major antioxidant enzymes involved in defense mechanisms against oxidative stress in parallel to the increased ROS levels over time. Longer-lived females showed lower ROS levels and higher antioxidant enzymes than males as a function of age. Using ethanol as a stressor, we have shown differential susceptibility of the sexes to ethanol wherein females exhibited higher resistance to ethanol-induced mortality and locomotor behavior compared to males. Our results show strong correlation between sex differences in oxidative stress resistance, antioxidant defenses and longevity. The study suggests that higher antioxidant defenses in females may confer resistance to oxidative stress, which could be a factor that influences sex-specific aging in D. melanogaster.

Effects of alpha-ketoglutarate on lifespan and functional aging of Drosophila melanogaster flies

“…Independent of food type and age, females were more resistant to hydrogen peroxide than males with a high percentage of females (about Diet: p = 0.7413 Age: p < 0.0001 Gender: p = 0.4690 Diet×age: p = 0.9615 Diet×gender: p = 0.7415 Age×gender: p = 0.9836 Diet×age×gender: p = 0.9846 A 60-80%) still alive after 48 h whereas less than 10% of males were alive. Similar sex-specific differences in oxidative stress resistance in relation to longevity have been reported recently [16]. Previously, we did not find any effects of dietary AKG on oxidative stress resistance in 24-day old w 1118 females and the same was true here.…”

Low concentrations of monosodium glutamate (MSG) are safe in male Drosophila melanogaster

“…Locomotion determination was done using the negative geotaxis experiment as described by Niveditha [ 14 ] at the end of the MSG feed exposure period. A transparent plastic ring tube which would hold 10 flies at once of standard length, 25 cm was secured on a tripod stand.…”

“…Bearing in mind that D. melanogaster have an established toxicological advantage due to their large population numbers and short lifecycle [ 12 , 13 ], there was a need to examine MSG exposure in D. melanogaster over a longer period. In addition, oxidative stress in D. melanogaster has been found to decrease with an increase in age [ 14 ], showing the role of the experimental period in toxicological evaluation of MSG. The objective of the study was to determine effects of MSG supplementation on hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, catalase activity, negative geotaxis, and lifespan in male D. melanogaster .…”

Sex differences in early transcriptomic responses to oxidative stress in the copepod Tigriopus californicus

“…The effects of oxidative stress have been proven to differ substantially between sexes. Under exposure to ethanol, Drosophila melanogaster females exhibited higher resistance to oxidative stress as evident from lower mortality and ROS levels as well as higher activities of antioxidant enzymes [ 12 ]. Similarly, studies in rats have found higher protection from antioxidant enzymes and lower oxidative damage in females [ 13 – 15 ].…”