Tipepidine extends median lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Many scientists are interested in anti-aging interventions and seek to identify anti-aging medicines. In our previous study, we reported that an antitussive drug, tipepidine (TIP), activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and improves glucose intolerance in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Activation of AMPK has been reported to extend lifespan in various experimental organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans. In this study, we examined whether TIP extends lifespan in C. elegans via AMPK activation. TIP treatment (50-100 μM) extended the median lifespan of wild-type C. elegans (N2), but not that of the AMPK catalytic subunit mutant aak-2(rr48). These results suggest that TIP extends lifespan in C. elegans in an AMPK-dependent manner.