Intermittent Fasting Dissociates Beneficial Effects of Dietary Restriction on Glucose Metabolism and Neuronal Resistance to Injury from Calorie Intake

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 100; no. 10; pp. 6216 - 6220
• Main Authors: Anson, R. Michael, Guo, Zhihong, de Cabo, Rafael, Iyun, Titilola, Rios, Michelle, Hagepanos, Adrienne, Ingram, Donald K., Lane, Mark A., Mattson, Mark P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 13-05-2003; National Acad Sciences; The National Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Biological Sciences; Body weight; Body Weight - physiology; Diet; Diet, Reducing; Energy Intake; Fasting; Fasting - physiology; Food access; Food intake; Insulin; Life span; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurons; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - pathology; Neurons - physiology; Reproducibility of Results; Weight Gain - physiology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1035720100

Dietary restriction has been shown to have several health benefits including increased insulin sensitivity, stress resistance, reduced morbidity, and increased life span. The mechanism remains unknown, but the need for a long-term reduction in caloric intake to achieve these benefits has been assumed. We report that when C57BL/6 mice are maintained on an intermittent fasting (alternate-day fasting) dietary-restriction regimen their overall food intake is not decreased and their body weight is maintained. Nevertheless, intermittent fasting resulted in beneficial effects that met or exceeded those of caloric restriction including reduced serum glucose and insulin levels and increased resistance of neurons in the brain to excitotoxic stress. Intermittent fasting therefore has beneficial effects on glucose regulation and neuronal resistance to injury in these mice that are independent of caloric intake.