Vitamin B5 extended lifespan in worms under some stresses
Experiments in Caenorhabditis elegans found longer life and better movement under heat stress, but supplementation harmed worms exposed to an oxidative stressor.
Limit: Supplementation harmed worms exposed to rotenone, so benefits depended on the stressor
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In experiments with Caenorhabditis elegans worms, researchers tested vitamin B5, also called pantothenate. The body uses it to make coenzyme A, a molecule involved in metabolism. They added vitamin B5 to food at 5 millimoles per liter, starting on the first day of adulthood. Heat-stress tests ran at 30°C until death.
Coenzyme A levels rose early in adult life and fell as worms aged. Supplementation raised these levels but had minimal effects on lifespan under ordinary conditions. Under heat stress, it extended lifespan and improved movement. However, supplementation had harmful effects when researchers used the chemical rotenone to induce stress from reactive oxygen molecules. In worm models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a nerve disease, supplementation also extended lifespan and protected nerve cells that use acetylcholine, a chemical messenger.
Why it matters
Age-related changes in coenzyme A metabolism raise the question of whether this pathway could help sustain stress resistance and nerve function during aging.
Caveats
These were laboratory experiments in worms, not tests in people. The preprint has not been peer-reviewed.
The paper
Karolinska Institutet; The University of Melbourne
bioRxiv, Jul 13, 2026, Open access, Preprint, not peer-reviewed
Comments
Be the first to comment.