Dietary Restriction and Aging in Rhesus Monkeys: The University of
Wisconsin Project
J.W. Kemnitz1, R.J. Colman, I.J. Edwards2, T.A. Gresl, J.J. Ramsey,
N.C. Binkley3 and R. Weindruch3,4
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center; Departments of
1Physiology and 3Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison;
4Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans
Administration Hospital, Madison, WI; and 2Department of
Pathology-Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of
Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Dietary restriction (DR) slows aging, reduces disease and extends
maximum lifespan of laboratory rodents. To determine whether DR has
similar effects in a long-lived primate species, we began a study of
30% DR in 30 ~10-yr-old male rhesus monkeys in 1989. Sixteen
additional males and a group of 30 females, also ~10-yr-old, were
added to the study in 1994. Several differences have emerged between
the restricted (R) monkeys and their controls (C) as they progress
through middle age. As expected, R weigh less and have less body fat
than C, while lean soft tissue mass and bone mass are modestly
decreased in R. Energy expenditure is marginally lower in R, but
physical activity is not different between groups. Insulin
sensitivity is enhanced in R, and basal as well as stimulated insulin
levels are markedly lower in R than C, reducing the risk for type 2
diabetes mellitus. Lipid profiles and the atherogenic properties of
LDL particles are favorably affected by DR. During the next several
years of study, it will become possible to learn whether this DR
protocol is effective in postponing disease and extending longevity
in rhesus monkeys.
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