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Dietary restriction modifies fever response in aging rats
1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
|March 1, 1997
Summary
Intermittent feeding in aging rats reduced body weight and improved survival. Diet restriction altered fever response to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), suggesting a link between hyperthermia and endotoxin resistance.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to infections and altered physiological responses.
- Dietary interventions are explored for their potential to mitigate age-related decline and enhance resilience.
- Bacterial endotoxins, like lipopolysaccharide (LPS), trigger significant inflammatory and febrile responses, which can be particularly challenging in aging individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of intermittent feeding on body weight, survival, and fever response to LPS in aging rats.
- To determine if diet restriction influences the ability to mount a hyperthermic response to endotoxin challenge.
- To explore the relationship between body weight changes, fever response, and survival following LPS administration in aged rodents.
Main Methods:
- Aging rats (19 months old) were subjected to intermittent (every-other-day) feeding for 12 weeks.
- Body weight and diurnal body temperature were monitored throughout the study.
- Following the feeding intervention, rats were challenged with E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to assess survival and febrile response.
Main Results:
- Intermittent feeding led to a moderate decrease in body weight and enhanced survival rates.
- Diet-restricted rats exhibited a modified fever response to LPS, including early hypothermia and delayed temperature elevation.
- While peak body temperatures were similar, the ability to develop hyperthermia correlated with survival after LPS challenge, particularly in control rats.
Conclusions:
- Intermittent feeding is a viable strategy to improve healthspan in aging rats by reducing body weight and enhancing resilience to endotoxin.
- Dietary restriction modulates the inflammatory and febrile response to LPS, suggesting a role in immune defense.
- The capacity to develop hyperthermia in response to bacterial endotoxin appears crucial for survival in aging rats, and this capacity may be influenced by dietary interventions.