RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A Calorie-Restricted Diet Decreases Brain Iron Accumulation and Preserves Motor Performance in Old Rhesus Monkeys
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 11897
OP 11904
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2553-12.2012
VO 32
IS 34
A1 Erik K. Kastman
A1 Auriel A. Willette
A1 Christopher L. Coe
A1 Barbara B. Bendlin
A1 Kris J. Kosmatka
A1 Donald G. McLaren
A1 Guofan Xu
A1 Elisa Canu
A1 Aaron S. Field
A1 Andrew L. Alexander
A1 Mary Lou Voytko
A1 T. Mark Beasley
A1 Ricki J. Colman
A1 Richard H. Weindruch
A1 Sterling C. Johnson
YR 2012
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/34/11897.abstract
AB Caloric restriction (CR) reduces the pathological effects of aging and extends the lifespan in many species, including nonhuman primates, although the effect on the brain is less well characterized. We used two common indicators of aging, motor performance speed and brain iron deposition measured in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging, to determine the potential effect of CR on elderly rhesus macaques eating restricted (n = 24, 13 males, 11 females) and standard (n = 17, 8 males, 9 females) diets. Both the CR and control monkeys showed age-related increases in iron concentrations in globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra (SN), although the CR group had significantly less iron deposition in the GP, SN, red nucleus, and temporal cortex. A Diet × Age interaction revealed that CR modified age-related brain changes, evidenced as attenuation in the rate of iron accumulation in basal ganglia and parietal, temporal, and perirhinal cortex. Additionally, control monkeys had significantly slower fine motor performance on the Movement Assessment Panel, which was negatively correlated with iron accumulation in left SN and parietal lobe, although CR animals did not show this relationship. Our observations suggest that the CR-induced benefit of reduced iron deposition and preserved motor function may indicate neural protection similar to effects described previously in aging rodent and primate species.