Life extension in the rotifer Mytilina brevispina var redunca by the application of chelating agents.

Extensions of life-span and reproductive period were achieved in the rotifer Mytilina brevispina var redunca by regular brief immersions in solutions of one of the following chelating agents, sodium citrate, sodium tartrate, EDTA, and EGTA. It was shown by means of radiolabelling with 45 calcium that the rate of calcium accumulation in chelation-treated rotifers was markedly lower than in the untreated controls. Furthermore, significant quantities of calcium, which increased throughout the life-span, were withdrawn from rotifers at chelation. These results add further evidence to a mechanism of aging in this organism that is related to a detrimental accumulation of calcium during the life period.