Abstract
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.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - Nov 1996 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aging
Cite this
The evolution of the antiaging action of dietary restriction : A hypothesis. / Masoro, Edward J.; Austad, Steven N.
In: Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol. 51, No. 6, 11.1996.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The evolution of the antiaging action of dietary restriction
T2 - A hypothesis
AU - Masoro, Edward J.
AU - Austad, Steven N.
PY - 1996/11
Y1 - 1996/11
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029848121&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8914486
AN - SCOPUS:0029848121
VL - 51
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
SN - 1079-5006
IS - 6
ER -