Extension of Life-Span with

We tested the theory that reactive oxygen species cause aging. We augmented the natural antioxidant systems of Caenorhabditis elegans with small synthetic superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetics. Treatment of wild-type worms in-creased their mean life-span by a mean of 44 percent, and treatment of prematurely aging worms resulted in normalization of their life-span (a 67 percent increase). It appears that oxidative stress is a major determinant of life-span and that it can be counteracted by pharmacological intervention. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) primarily arise as by-products of normal metabolic ac-tivities and are thought to influence the eti-ology of age-related diseases (1, 2). If ROS contribute to aging, then the aging process would be slowed if either the production of ROS were reduced or the endogenous anti-oxidant or repair activities were increased