Geroprotective potential of sodium butyrate in Drosophila melanogaster: Long-term effects

Abstract

Recently we demonstrated [1] that the dietary intake of sodium butyrate, which is a histone deacetylase inhibitor, by Drosophila melanogaster, either throughout their whole life or at the adult stage only, results in an increased life span. The potential impact of sodium butyrate on epigenetic control of gene function and, therefore, the possibility of its long-term influence on life span led to the assumption that dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate during the larval stage of development may result in a potential increase of the adult life span. Experimental verification of this hypothesis was carried out in the present study. Nutritional supplementation with sodium butyrate during the larval stage of development at a concentration of 20 mmol/L resulted in a statistically significant increase in the average life span of male flies. The maximum life span of males was statistically increased in the case of sodium butyrate intake at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 mmol/L. The average life span in females was demonstrated to remain at a similar level following the administration of sodium butyrate, whereas the maximum life span increased significantly in a female group treated with sodium butyrate at a concentration of 10 mmol/L compared to the control group. Female reproductive activity remained the same in all groups. To test the hypothesis whether the observed long-term effect of sodium butyrate exposure on the flies’ longevity is caused by the induction of persistent epigenetic changes, the levels of expression of some longevity-associated genes, including hsp70, sir2, and InR, were determined. The expression level of sir2, which is known to play an important role in the stimulation of longevity after calorie restriction, increased significantly in a group of flies treated with sodium butyrate at a concentration of 20 mmol/L at the larval stage and further subjected to starvation in the postdevelopment stage in comparison with the control group.