title: Lifelong caloric restriction increases working memory in mice.
abstract: Caloric restriction (CR) is argued to positively affect general health, longevity and the normally occurring age-related reduction of cognition. This issue is well examined, but most studies investigated the effect of short-term periods of CR. Herein, 4 weeks old female mice were fed caloric restricted for 4, 20 and especially for 74 weeks. CR mice received 60% of food eaten by their ad libitum (AL) fed littermates, and all age-matched groups were behaviorally analyzed. The motor coordination, which was tested by rotarod/accelerod, decreased age-related, but was not influenced by the different periods of CR. In contrast, the age-related impairment of spontaneous locomotor activity and anxiety, both being evaluated by open field and by elevated plus maze test, was found aggravated by a lifelong CR. Measurement of cognitive performance with morris water maze showed that the working memory decreased age-related in AL mice, while a lifelong CR caused a better cognitive performance and resulted in a significantly better spatial memory upon 74 weeks CR feeding. However, a late-onset CR feeding in 66 weeks old mice did not ameliorate the working memory. Therefore, a lifelong CR seems to be necessary to improve working memory.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Surgery, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany. angela.kuhla@uni-rostock.de
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuhla
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holzmann
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vollmar
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wree
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D031204:Caloric Restriction / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000502:physiology; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming