Caloric restriction increases hdl2 levels in rhesus monkeys (
macaca mulatta).
Verdery, Roy B., Donald K. Ingram, George S. Roth, and Mark A. Lane.
Nathan W. Shock Laboratories, Gerontology Research Center, National
Institute on Aging, NIH, Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224
APStracts 4:0139E, 1997.
Rationale: Caloric restriction (CR) prolongs the life of rodents and
other small animals, but the benefits of CR for primates and people
are as yet unknown, and mechanisms by which CR may slow aging remain
unidentified. Objectives: A study of rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta,
is underway to determine if CR might prolong lifespan in primates and
to evaluate potential mechanisms for life prolongation. Methods:
Thirty rhesus monkeys in 3 age cohorts, restricted to 70% of ad lib
calorie intake for 6-7 years, were compared with 30 controls. Plasma
lipid, lipoprotein, and HDL apolipoproteins and subfractions were
measured and compared to weight, percent fat, glucose, and insulin
level. Results: CR caused decreased triglyceride levels in adult
monkeys and increased levels of HDL2b, the HDL subfraction associated
with protection from atherosclerosis. Multivariate statistical
analyses showed that differences in lipid and lipoprotein levels
occurring with CR could be accounted for, at least in part, by
decreased body mass and improved glucose regulation. Conclusions:
These studies have used a novel dietary modification paradigm in non
-human primates, focused on calorie reduction. Results suggest that
CR, as mediated by its beneficial effect on body composition and
glucose metabolism, could prolong human life by decreasing the
incidence of atherosclerosis.
Received 16 December 1996; accepted in final form 20 June 1997.
APS Manuscript Number E615-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1997 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 10 July 1997