Chronic vs intermittent calorie restriction and liver cell signaling in aging male mice
In aging male C57BL/6 mice, chronic and intermittent calorie restriction changed liver cell-death and survival signaling in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells, and the pattern differed by age and regimen. This is a mouse study, not evidence about human liver health. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Ninety-seven aging male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to Baseline, Ad Libitum, Chronic Caloric Restriction (25% restriction) and Intermittent Caloric Restriction (alternating 3-week periods of ad libitum feeding and 50% restriction) groups. [1]
At 49 weeks, hepatocyte caspase-3 expression was significantly higher in the chronic restriction group and in ICR-RF than in the ad libitum group, while no significant differences were seen at 85 weeks. [1]
At 85 weeks, Kupffer-cell BCL-2 expression was significantly higher with chronic restriction than with ad libitum feeding and ICR-RF. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Preclinical mouse study (abstract)
- Population / context
- Aging male C57BL/6 mice (97 animals)
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- September 21, 2026
Liver signaling in 97 aging male mice
The study examined how chronic and intermittent calorie restriction affect apoptotic and anti-apoptotic signaling in the liver of aging male C57BL/6 mice. Ninety-seven mice were assigned to Baseline, Ad Libitum, Chronic Caloric Restriction (25% restriction) and Intermittent Caloric Restriction (alternating 3-week periods of ad libitum feeding and 50% restriction) groups. Liver tissue was collected at predefined time points, and BCL-2 and caspase-3 immunoreactivity in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells was scored semi-quantitatively.
Supporting source [1]
Age- and regimen-dependent liver cell findings
At 49 weeks, hepatocyte caspase-3 expression was significantly higher in the chronic restriction group and in one intermittent group (ICR-RF) than in the ad libitum group; no significant differences appeared at 85 weeks. At 85 weeks, Kupffer-cell BCL-2 expression was significantly higher with chronic restriction than with ad libitum feeding and ICR-RF. The authors conclude that calorie restriction modulates hepatic apoptotic and anti-apoptotic signaling in an age- and regimen-dependent way, with distinct responses in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells.
Supporting source [1]
Mouse-only scope of the liver findings
The comparison is cell-specific: hepatocytes and Kupffer cells were assessed separately, and chronic and intermittent restriction were compared across stages of aging. The authors present the findings as a basis for understanding how different calorie-restriction regimens may influence hepatic cellular adaptation during aging and call for further studies on relevance to age-related liver health. Because this is an abstract of a mouse study, it does not show effects on human liver health or lifespan.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a mouse study, so the liver findings do not establish effects on human liver health or lifespan.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Gökçe K, Doğan A, Akbari AM, Açık H, Midi A, Sheikhvatan M. · europepmc.org · September 21, 2026