Innate immune remodeling by short-term intensive fasting

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Metabolism
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Intermittent fasting is linked to health benefits and longevity.
• Short-term, intensive water-only fasting's impact on human immune function remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of 72-hour intensive fasting on immune cell function.
• To analyze multi-omics changes in leukocytes following short-term fasting.

Main Methods:

• Collected CD45+ leukocytes from subjects before and after a 72-hour water-only fast.
• Utilized transcriptomic and proteomic profiling to analyze cellular changes.
• Performed functional enrichment analysis on differentially expressed genes and proteins.

Main Results:

• Observed significant gene and protein expression changes in leukocytes, with more upregulation than downregulation.
• Identified enhanced autophagy and reduced apoptosis, leading to increased leukocyte viability.
• Noticed an increase in peripheral neutrophils, enhanced neutrophil degranulation, and increased cytokine secretion.

Conclusions:

• Short-term intensive fasting enhances immune function, particularly innate immunity.
• Leukocyte expression profile remodeling is a key mechanism behind these immune improvements.
• Fasting impacts cellular processes like autophagy and apoptosis, influencing immune cell health and function.