Morphochemical age-related changes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: immunoperoxidase localization of cytokine- and growth factor-like molecules

Morphochemical age-related features in the hermaphrodite Caenorhabditis elegans are reported. The study of worms of different ages shows a gradual decline in response to the various histochemical reactions and a disorganization of the components of the gonad during ageing. Using an immunocytochemical procedure, we show for the first time the presence of immunoreactive IL-1a and PDGF-AB molecules in neurons from young adult C. elegans. Moreover, TNF-a- and PDGF-AB-like molecules are also present in the secretory cells of the pharyngeal terminal bulb. The number of positive cells to anti-cytokine and anti-growth factor antibodies decreases in older worms, suggesting that these molecules may play an important role in worm ageing. The present investigation therefore supports the findings in the literature obtained with different approaches on the crucial role of the nervous and reproductive systems in the life span of C. elegans.