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Updated: Jun 23, 2025
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Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice
Published on: November 27, 2019
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Circadian-Dependent Intermittent Fasting Influences Ischemic Tolerance and Dendritic Spine Remodeling
Soomin Jeong1,2, Anil K Chokkalla1, Charles K Davis1
1Department of Neurological Surgery (S.J., A.K.C., C.K.D., B.C., V.A., B.K., A.N., S.B., R.V.), University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Stroke
|June 26, 2024
Summary
Fasting during the active phase (dark cycle) improved stroke recovery and cognitive function in mice. This highlights the importance of timing intermittent fasting with circadian rhythms for neuroprotection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Metabolic research
- Stroke research
Background:
- Intermittent fasting (IF) is known to enhance cognitive and motor functions.
- IF preconditioning can improve recovery after ischemic stroke.
- The impact of IF timing relative to circadian cycles on neuroprotection is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of fasting timing on neuroprotection and stroke recovery.
- To determine if active-phase IF confers greater benefits than inactive-phase IF.
Main Methods:
- Mice underwent daily 16-hour fasts during either the active (dark) or inactive (light) phase for 6 weeks.
- Following the dietary regimen, mice were subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia.
- Behavioral assessments, RNA sequencing, and histopathology were performed.
Main Results:
- Active-phase IF significantly improved post-stroke motor and cognitive recovery compared to inactive-phase IF and ad libitum feeding.
- Active-phase IF reduced infarct size.
- Protection of dendritic spine density and increased postsynaptic density protein-95 were observed with active-phase IF.
Conclusions:
- The timing of daily fasting is crucial for inducing neuroprotection via intermittent fasting.
- Active-phase intermittent fasting enhances recovery and reduces brain damage after ischemic stroke.
