1991 Volume 40 Issue 4 Pages 523-528
The effects of food restriction on immune function was investigated in germfree (GF) and specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice. They were maintained from five weeks of age under either full-fed or food-restricted conditions to 4.5 grams per day (equivalent to approximately 80% of full-fed intake) of a commercial diet. Longest survival rate was attained in food-restricted SPF mice followed by food-restricted GF, full-fed GF, and full-fed SPF animals. Food-restricted GF mice showed shorter survival rate than their SPF counterparts. This result suggests that food restriction may be just as effective as GF status for extending life span. Immune function declined significantly with age in full-fed groups of GF and SPF mice. In both foodrestricted GF and SPF mice, mitogenic response to concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide and antibody response to sheep red blood cells were lower early in life and became higher later in life as compared with full-fed mice. Hence, the maintenance of effective immunological function until old age may be the reason for food-restricted groups to live slightly longer than full-fed groups.
Proceedings of The Japanese Society of Animal Models for Human Diseases
Proceedings of The Japanese Association of Animal Models for Human Diseases
