"Total RNA was extracted from the control and each of the FCP-treated C. elegans, and various levels of heat-stress (i.e. control (unstressed), mild (30C) and severely heat-stressed (35C)). At the same time, FCP treatments did not influence the level of expression of the genes tested under control (unstressed) conditions (i.e. 20C), with the exception of
hsp-16.2 and
hsp-70 that showed a two-fold increase (Fig. 4). The
sod-3 level increased when the worms were exposed to heat stress and was much higher in the treated than in the control worms. There was an increase of 5-6 fold with the 150 mg/mL treatment, as compared to other two concentrations of FCP (3.8-4.3 fold), and the control (2.8-3.2 fold). In the case of
hsp-16.2 and
hsp-70 the level of expression was 22-34 fold when treated, which was signicantly greater than the control group (i.e. 10-12 fold increase; Fig. 4). In general, there was a significant increase in gene expression for all the genes examined with the 150 mg/mL FCP concentration, as compared to the control, again except for the
daf-2 gene. The level of expression of the oxidative stress response gene (
skn-1) did not change greatly with respect to the heat stress (Fig. 4). However,
skn-1 expression was approximately 2-fold more in the treatments. Neither heat-stress, nor the treatments signicantly influenced the expression of
daf-16, except FCP at 50 mg/mL. There was a signicant decrease in the level of expression of the
daf-2 when the treated worms were exposed to mild to severe heat stress (Fig. 4). Overall, FCP increased the expression of
sod-3,
hsp-16.2,
hsp-70,
skn-1,
daf-16 genes and suppressed
daf-2 expression, as compared to control (Fig. 4)."