Chronic high-sugar diet in adulthood protects Caenorhabditis elegans from 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

Our work uncovers a neuroprotective role for high-sugar diets, despite concomitant decreases in lifespan and reproduction. Our results support the broader finding that ATP depletion alone is insufficient to induce dopaminergic neurodegeneration, whereas increased neuronal oxidative stress may drive degeneration. Finally, our work highlights the importance of evaluating lifestyle by toxicant interactions.