Short-term calorie restriction before living kidney donation: molecular changes in 12 donors
In this abstract, 12 living kidney donors were alternately assigned to seven days of a formula diet at 50% of caloric needs or to an ad libitum diet; calorie restriction was tolerated and caused weight loss without changing acute kidney injury incidence, and molecular analyses suggested reduced insulin signaling and inflammation. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Twelve living kidney donors were alternately assigned to seven days of a formula diet at 50% of caloric needs or to an ad libitum diet before donation. [1]
Calorie restriction was well tolerated and caused significant weight loss without affecting acute kidney injury incidence or increasing adverse events. [1]
Molecular analyses suggested reduced insulin signaling and decreased inflammatory factors in donor arteries and ureter tissue, described as hypothesis-generating. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Clinical study with molecular analyses (abstract)
- Population / context
- Living kidney donors (12 participants)
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- May 28, 2026
Twelve donors, seven days before donation
The study examined clinical and molecular effects of short-term calorie restriction in living kidney donors. Twelve donors were alternately assigned to calorie restriction or an ad libitum diet. The calorie-restriction group consumed a formula diet providing 50% of individual caloric needs for seven days before donation. Clinical parameters and samples from perirenal fat, renal arteries, ureters, kidney biopsies, blood and urine were collected. The primary outcomes were calorie-restriction-induced molecular changes; clinical outcomes were secondary.
Supporting source [1]
Weight loss, unchanged AKI incidence, molecular signals
Calorie restriction was well tolerated and caused significant weight loss. It did not affect the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) or increase adverse events. Lipidomic and proteomic analyses showed enhanced lipolysis and proteostasis, reduced insulin signaling, sex-specific effects, and decreased inflammatory factors in donor arteries and ureter tissue. The authors describe the study as hypothesis-generating and suggest that calorie restriction may promote organ protection in humans by dampening insulin signaling and inflammation.
Supporting source [1]
Abstract-only scope of a small donor study
This explainer is based only on the abstract; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports 12 donors, alternate assignment rather than randomization described in detail, and a seven-day intervention before donation. It does not report follow-up duration, transplant outcomes or detailed statistical uncertainty. The molecular findings come from tissue and biosample analyses, and the suggested organ protection is a hypothesis, not a demonstrated clinical benefit.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports 12 donors, alternate assignment, a seven-day intervention and no follow-up duration or transplant outcomes. Molecular findings are hypothesis-generating, not demonstrated clinical benefit.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Späth MR, Arjune S, Bohl K, Rinschen MM, Falk CS, Antczak P, Grundmann F, Kubacki T, Hoyer-Allo KJR, Ignarski M, Koehler FC, Kaufmann K, Bartram MP, Wagner T, Thomas M, Lackmann JW, Wahida A, Schmaderer C, Kemmner S, Kurschat CE, Benzing T, Stippel D, Burst V, Müller RU. · europepmc.org · May 28, 2026