Mattson's Mice

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

For those who cannot face wading through the technical jargon in

Mattson's mouse study, here is my summary of the findings most

relevant to us here. (If anyone thinks what I write here is not

entirely accurate, please correct it. I am certainly no kind of

expert in this stuff, as you will already have figured out ; ^ )))

Thanks.)

They measured four biomarkers of mice on various different dietary

schemes. (I ASSUME that it is better in the case of each of these

biomarkers for the number to be lower. Someone please correct if

mistaken). The four markers were fasting glucose; fasting insulin;

IGF-1; and beta-hydroxybutyrate.

The calorie-restricted mice were fed 40% less than the others. All

the other three groups of mice ate pretty much the same quantity!

One was eating ad-lib - the control group; another was eating as much

as they wanted but only given food on alternate days (i.e. fasting);

the third group was fed the same quantity as the fasting group, but

they were fed daily. I will refer to this last group as 'the third

group'. (Having this group enabled the researchers to distinguish

between the effects of the quantity consumed by the fasting group and

the effects of the fasting factor separately). The fasting group ate

the same amount as the control group because they ate twice as much

on the days they were given food.

Now here are some biomarker numbers for the three non-control groups

compared with the ad-lib control group. It is notable that the CR

mice show reductions for all four markers. The fasting group and its

associated 'third group' showed declines for two markers, BUT

INCREASES FOR THE OTHER TWO:

For fasting glucose: the CR group was 29% lower than the ad-lib

control mice; the fasting group was 35% lower (even though they ate

much more than the CR mice); the third group was ONLY 5% lower.

Fasting has a very big influence on fasting glucose apparently.

For insulin: the CR group was 68% lower; fasting was 79% lower;

third group 50% lower (strange, because they ate the same as the

controls and were fed every day?????).

For IGF-1: CR was 16% lower; fasting 16% HIGHER; third group, 15%

HIGHER.

For beta-hydroxybutyrate: CR, 46% lower; fasting 95% HIGHER; third

group, 20% HIGHER.

As you can see from these numbers fasting results in a greater

decline in glucose and insulin than CR, but it apparently causes a

rise in the other two markers measured.

Perhaps someone here can explain to us the

importance/significance/relevance of IGF-1 and beta-hydroxybutyrate?

Please?

Rodney.