Intermittent fasting and hippocampal mitochondria in irradiated mice
In a mouse whole-brain radiotherapy model, intermittent fasting was linked to fewer swollen hippocampal mitochondria at 6 hours and 6 weeks, more newborn neurons and longer, more branched neurons at 6 weeks, and shorter open-arm time in a maze test. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Male C57BL/6J mice aged 6–8 weeks received 10 Gy whole-brain radiotherapy; the intermittent fasting group had 24 hours of food restriction then 48 hours of free access. [1]
At 6 hours after irradiation, the share of swollen hippocampal mitochondria was significantly lower with intermittent fasting plus radiotherapy than with radiotherapy alone (p = 0.0005). [1]
In the elevated plus-maze test, the intermittent fasting plus radiotherapy group had significantly shorter open-arm time than the radiotherapy group (p = 0.0082). [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Animal study (mouse model), abstract
- Population / context
- 6–8 week old male C57BL/6J mice in a whole-brain radiotherapy model
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- May 14, 2026
Irradiated mice given fasting cycles
The abstract describes 6–8 week old male C57BL/6J mice that received 10 Gy whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Mice in the intermittent fasting (IF) group had cycles of 24 hours of food restriction followed by 48 hours of free food access. The study compared mitochondrial structure in the hippocampus and ATP concentrations at 6 hours and 6 weeks after irradiation; hippocampal neurons were examined with Golgi staining, and behavior and newborn (DCX+) neurons were assessed at 6 weeks.
Supporting source [1]
Fewer swollen mitochondria, more newborn neurons
At 6 hours after irradiation, the share of swollen mitochondria in hippocampal neurons was significantly lower in the IF+WBRT group than in the WBRT group (p = 0.0005). At 6 weeks, the WBRT group still had a significantly greater share of swollen mitochondria than the control group (p = 0.0003). ATP concentrations were higher in the IF+WBRT group than in the WBRT group, but the reported p value was 0.0576. At 6 weeks, DCX+ cell numbers, neuron length, branch numbers and branch points were significantly greater in the IF+WBRT group than in the WBRT group.
Supporting source [1]
Shorter open-arm time and abstract-only scope
In the elevated plus-maze test, the IF+WBRT group showed significantly shorter open-arm time than the WBRT group (p = 0.0082). The authors conclude that IF reduced mitochondrial damage, promoted neurogenesis and partially restored ATP levels early on, while behavioral effects remained limited and the benefit was time-dependent, more prominent in the acute phase. These are mouse findings from an abstract; the full text was not reviewed, and the results do not establish effects in people.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a mouse study, so the findings do not establish effects in humans. The ATP difference had a reported p value of 0.0576, and the authors describe behavioral effects as limited.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Li Y, Fan X, Pei Y, Wu K. · europepmc.org · May 14, 2026