Prof. QIN Jianhua’s research team in DICP has made great progress in the investigation of   new anti-aging role of polydatin in model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) on a chip. The results were published on the recent issue of Integrative Biology as cover image (Integr. Biol., 2014, 6, 35-43). 

Polydatin is a natural anti-oxidant isolated from nature and it is the glycoside form of resveratrol. Several works have reported the beneficial and biological effects of polydatin in mice models, including the neuroprotective effect on ischemia/reperfusion induced cerebral injury, promotion of weight loss, and protection against lipid peroxidation. However, the anti-aging effect of polydatin is still not clear. The nematode C. elegans is the excellent model organism in aging study due to its unique features. In this work, they set out to investigate the anti-aging role of polydatin in C. elegans by using a flexible microfluidic device. The established microfluidic platform is capable of flexible operation with multiple functions, which not only supports the individual worm’s long-term culture with sufficient nutrient exchange, but also facilitates mobility monitoring of the worm, immobilizing and imaging in a controllable and parallel manner. Based on the platform, polydatin was found to significantly extend the mean lifespan of worms under normal culture and oxidative stress conditions. Further studies showed that the longevity extending effect of polydatin is mainly attributed to its anti-oxidative activity, which is mediated by the associated genes and proteins via up-regulating expression of daf-16 and SOD-3 in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway. These interesting findings highlight the significance of the natural compound polydatin in the study of aging-related diseases, and the utility of the microfluidic platform for applications in aging studies. 

The journal of Integrative Biology focuses on the interdisciplinary approaches for molecular and cellular life sciences, and publishes the papers involved in the interface between biology and the fields of physics, chemistry, engineering, imaging and informatics. (By WEN Hui)