Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 51, Issue 6 B387-B391, Copyright © 1996 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The evolution of the antiaging action of dietary restriction: a hypothesis

EJ Masoro and SN Austad
Aging Research and Education Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA.

Reducing the intake of dietary energy by laboratory rodents to well below that of animals allowed to eat ad libitum slows the rate of aging. This phenomenon, which is robust and reproducible, is known as the antiaging action of dietary restriction (DR). We hypothesize that this DR response arose because of its evolutionary advantage with respect to survival during periods of unpredictable, short-term food shortage. In our evolutionary scenario, food shortage led to an adaptive redirection of resources away from reproduction toward somatic maintenance via an enhanced heat shock protein response in invertebrates. In vertebrates, an additional involvement of the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal-adrenal glucocorticoid system was necessitated to protect against excessive systemic defense responses. We suggest several general implications of our hypothesis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. J. Colman, T. M. Beasley, D. B. Allison, and R. Weindruch Attenuation of Sarcopenia by Dietary Restriction in Rhesus Monkeys J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., June 1, 2008; 63(6): 556 - 559. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Higami, T. Tsuchiya, T. Chiba, H. Yamaza, I. Muraoka, M. Hirose, T. Komatsu, and I. Shimokawa Hepatic Gene Expression Profile of Lipid Metabolism in Rats: Impact of Caloric Restriction and Growth Hormone/Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Suppression J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., November 1, 2006; 61(11): 1099 - 1110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Komatsu, T. Chiba, H. Yamaza, K. To, H. Toyama, Y. Higami, and I. Shimokawa Effect of leptin on hypothalamic gene expression in calorie-restricted rats. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., September 1, 2006; 61(9): 890 - 898. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. J. Masoro Caloric Restriction and Aging: Controversial Issues J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., January 1, 2006; 61(1): 14 - 19. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. T. Weinert and P. S. Timiras Invited Review: Theories of aging J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2003; 95(4): 1706 - 1716. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Harper, A. T. Galecki, D. T. Burke, S. L. Pinkosky, and R. A. Miller Quantitative trait loci for insulin-like growth factor I, leptin, thyroxine, and corticosterone in genetically heterogeneous mice Physiol Genomics, September 29, 2003; 15(1): 44 - 51. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. K Heilbronn and E. Ravussin Calorie restriction and aging: review of the literature and implications for studies in humans Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2003; 78(3): 361 - 369. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. J. Masoro Subfield History: Caloric Restriction, Slowing Aging, and Extending Life Sci. Aging Knowl. Environ., February 26, 2003; 2003(8): re2 - 2. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Kirk Dietary Restriction and Aging: Comparative Tests of Evolutionary Hypotheses J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2001; 56(3): 123B - 129. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				R. Weindruch, K. P. Keenan, J. M. Carney, G. Fernandes, R. J. Feuers, R. A. Floyd, J. B. Halter, J. J. Ramsey, A. Richardson, G. S. Roth, et al. Caloric Restriction Mimetics: Metabolic Interventions J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2001; 56(90001): 20 - 33. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. V. Mobbs, G. A. Bray, R. L. Atkinson, A. Bartke, C. E. Finch, E. Maratos-Flier, J. N. Crawley, and J. F. Nelson Neuroendocrine and Pharmacological Manipulations to Assess How Caloric Restriction Increases Life Span J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2001; 56(90001): 34 - 44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P A Parsons Caloric restriction, metabolic efflciency and hormesis Human and Experimental Toxicology, June 1, 2000; 19(6): 345 - 347. [PDF]