Caloric restriction minimizes aging effects on the femoral medial condyle.
This study aimed to analyze the effects of caloric restriction on aged femoral articular cartilage of Wistar rats. Three groups of eight animals each were considered: young (YC) and old (OC) control groups fed with a normal diet and old caloric restriction group (OCR) composed of 18-month-old animals fed with a 31% less caloric diet from 6-months of age. Articular cartilage was studied through morphometry and immunohistochemistry. Body mass was 12% less in the OCR group than in the OC group. The articular cartilage from OC rats show thinner medial condyles, fewer chondrocytes, smaller chondrocytes nuclear volume and, in both condyles, a predominance of collagen type II and less collagen density compared to both YC and OCR groups (p < .001). In contrast, OCR articular cartilage show thicker medial condyles, larger chondrocytes nuclear volume and increased collagen density compared to OC group (p < 0.001). We concluded that caloric restriction minimizes the effects of aging on medial condyles of the femoral articular cartilage.
a Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootecny , São Paulo University , São Paulo , Brazil.
Renata Gabriel
RG
Fontinele
b Department of Physical Education, Laboratory of Morphoquantitative Studies and Immunohistochemistry , São Judas Tadeu University , São Paulo , Brazil.
Walter
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6881-0208
W
Krause Neto
b Department of Physical Education, Laboratory of Morphoquantitative Studies and Immunohistochemistry , São Judas Tadeu University , São Paulo , Brazil.
Eliane Florencio
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9770-8819
EF
Gama
c Department of Morphological Sciences , Maringá State University , Maringá , Brazil.
Renata de
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3263-3112
R
Brito Mari
b Department of Physical Education, Laboratory of Morphoquantitative Studies and Immunohistochemistry , São Judas Tadeu University , São Paulo , Brazil.|d Department of Anatomy , São Judas Tadeu University , São Paulo , Brazil.
Romeu Rodrigues
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3251-276X
RR
de Souza
a Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootecny , São Paulo University , São Paulo , Brazil.
André
A
Conrado
e School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities , São Paulo University , São Paulo , Brazil.
Luis
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7550-2537
L
Mochizuki
a Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootecny , São Paulo University , São Paulo , Brazil.
José Roberto
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1284-4038
JR
Kfoury Junior
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D003094:Collagen
Morphometry; Wistar rats; articular cartilage; hipocaloric nutrition