Effect of calorie restriction on the production and responsiveness to interleukin 2 in (NZB × NZW)F1 mice

Calorie restriction preserves the immunologic functions of the autoimmune prone B/W mice and prolongs their life. B/W mice fed normal calories were deficient in production of Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and in responses to exogenous IL-2 after 5 months of age. Calorie restriction leads to the preservation of IL-2 production in the spleen cells of these animals. Furthermore, these calorie-restricted mice responded vigorously to exogenous IL-2 in the thymocyte proliferation assay while mice fed a normal calorie diet lost much of the ability of their thymocytes to respond to IL-2. Whether calorie restriction in preserving the immune function of B/W mice involves IL-2 production and/or IL-2 response requires further analysis.