Rats and Alternate Day Feeding

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" Cardioprotection by Intermittent Fasting in Rats.

Ahmet I, Wan R, Mattson MP, Lakatta EG, Talan M.

Laboratories of Cardiovascular Sciences and of Neurosciences,

National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, National

Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary regimen in which

food is available only every other day, increases the life span and

reduces the incidence of age-associated diseases in rodents. We have

reported neuroprotective effects of IF against ischemic injury of the

brain. In this study, we examined the effects of IF on ischemic

injury of the heart in rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: After 3 months of

IF or regular every-day feeding (control) diets started in 2-month-

old rats, myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by coronary artery

ligation. Twenty-four hours after MI, its size in the IF group was 2-

fold smaller, the number of apoptotic myocytes in the area at risk

was 4-fold less, and the inflammatory response was significantly

reduced compared with the control diet group. Serial echocardiography

revealed that during 10 weeks after MI (with continuation of the IF

regimen), the left ventricular (LV) remodeling and MI expansion that

were observed in the control diet group were absent in the IF group.

In a subgroup of animals with similar MI size at 1 week after MI,

further observation revealed less remodeling, better LV function, and

no MI expansion in the IF group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: IF protects the heart from ischemic injury and

attenuates post-MI cardiac remodeling, likely via antiapoptotic and

antiinflammatory mechanisms. " PMID: 16275865

Rodney.