Calorie restriction alleviates the age-related decrease in neural progenitor cell division in the aging brain

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Aging Research
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Neurogenesis, the production of new neurons, is vital for cognitive function.
• Reduced neurogenesis in aging brains may lead to cognitive decline.
• Calorie restriction (CR) and rapamycin extend lifespan and delay age-related functional decline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of prolonged calorie restriction (CR) or rapamycin on hippocampal neural stem and progenitor cell proliferation in aging mice.
• To determine if CR or rapamycin influences the number of dividing neural stem and progenitor cells in the aging brain.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a reporter mouse line where neural stem and progenitor cells express green fluorescent protein (GFP).
• Administered prolonged calorie restriction (CR) or rapamycin to aging mice.
• Examined cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.

Main Results:

• Calorie restriction (CR) significantly increased the number of dividing cells in the dentate gyrus of female mice.
• The majority of these proliferating cells were identified as nestin-GFP-expressing neural stem or progenitor cells.
• Despite increased stem and progenitor cell division, there was no significant rise in doublecortin-positive newborn neurons.

Conclusions:

• Calorie restriction (CR) increases the proliferation of neural stem and progenitor cells in the aging female brain.
• This enhanced proliferation does not necessarily translate to a significant increase in new neuron formation.
• Findings suggest CR may modulate neural stem cell division dynamics in aging females.