Calcium and calmodulin changes with aging in Drosophila

Total body calcium increased by 115% for Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon-R) males from 0 to 60 days of adult age at 25 °C. The highest values for total calcium were found during the pupal and larval developmental stages. The rate of calcium accumulation was dependent upon the environmental temperature at 11, 20, 25 and 30 °C. Feeding the calcium salts of carbonic, lactic and gluconic acid decreased the median life span at concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1M. Feeding calcium D-saccharate at a concentration of 0.1M did not change life span. At a concentration of 0.001M, none of the calcium salts altered life span. Feeding the calcium channel blockers diltiazem, felodipine, nifedipine and verapamil had little or no influence on life span. Other calcium antagonists, the diphosphonates, also failed to improve survival. Calmodulin concentrations declined during development and increased with aging during the adult stages but the increase was not significant. We conclude that high dietary intake of certain calcium salts can increase the rate of aging, but at moderate intakes calcium does not change the rate of aging of Drosophila. Calcium antagonists have little or no influence on the rate of aging of Drosophila.