Application of Caenorhabditis elegans in Neurotoxicology

Abstract

Neurotoxicological studies usually use mammals similar to humans as model animals for research. Although the high similarity with humans makes it a good choice, the complicated nervous system and the difficulty of feeding and operation have become unfavorable conditions in the research. And the longer life span greatly extends the research cycle to study long-term toxicity. The problem can be solved using Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans)as experimental animals. C.elegans have a fast growth rate, short research period, and easy culture and preservation compared with mammals used to study Neurotoxicology. It has the advantages of strong genetic stability, gene conservation, small individual differences, simple structure, and easy observation and operation. So, C. elegans is an ideal model for long-term toxicity study.