Caloric restriction and age-related liver and kidney changes in mice: histological evidence
In male mice, long-term 50% caloric restriction was linked to less histological liver and kidney damage with age, including less fibrosis, glycogen accumulation and senescence markers; this is animal histology, not evidence of human lifespan benefit. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice received a standard diet or 50% caloric restriction and were sacrificed at 12 or 16 months, with a two-month-old control group of five per group. [1]
Aged standard-diet mice showed liver injury, increased PAS positivity and collagen deposition, while restriction attenuated these changes. [1]
p16-positive cells increased with age under the standard diet and were reduced by restriction, though not fully normalized at 16 months. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Preclinical mouse study (abstract)
- Population / context
- Male C57BL/6 mice, eight weeks old at assignment, with a two-month-old control group.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- March 24, 2026
Mice on standard diet versus 50% restriction
Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice received either a standard diet or 50% caloric restriction and were sacrificed at 12 or 16 months; a two-month-old group served as control, with five animals per group. Liver and kidney tissue was stained and examined, and markers SIRT1, p16 and acetylated p53 were assessed in both organs, with β-galactosidase assessed in liver.
Supporting source [1]
Less liver and kidney damage under restriction
Aged mice on the standard diet showed liver injury, more PAS positivity and collagen deposition; restriction attenuated these changes. The standard-diet 16-month group had the highest PAS positivity, while restriction limited glycogen accumulation and preserved lobular architecture. In the kidney, standard-diet animals developed tubular degeneration and architectural disruption, whereas restriction preserved renal structure and reduced tubular damage.
Supporting source [1]
Senescence markers reduced but not fully normalized
Restriction was associated with higher SIRT1 immunoreactivity and lower acetylated p53, described as consistent with preserved SIRT1-linked deacetylation status. p16-positive cells increased with age under the standard diet and were reduced by restriction, though not fully normalized at 16 months. β-galactosidase immunoreactivity was evident in aged standard-diet hepatocytes but minimal in restriction groups. These are associations in mice, not proof of cause or of human benefit.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a mouse histological study with five animals per group, so it cannot establish human outcomes, causality or lifespan effects.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Montes-de-Oca-Saucedo CR, Villa-Cedillo SA, Ríos-Vázquez CS, Álvarez-Tostado-Ojeda EA, Murguía-Pérez M, Agustín-Godínez E, Ruiz-Salazar R, Soto-Domínguez A, Saucedo-Cárdenas O. · europepmc.org · March 24, 2026