Caloric restriction mitigates age-associated hippocampal differential CG and non-CG methylation

Brain aging is marked by cognitive decline and susceptibility to neurodegeneration. Caloric-restriction (CR) increases neurogenesis, improves memory function, and protects from age-associated neurological disorders. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, are vital to normal CNS cellular and memory functions, and are dysregulated with aging. The beneficial effects of CR have been proposed to work through epigenetic processes, but this is largely unexplored. We therefore tested whether life-long CR prevents age-related hippocampal DNA methylation changes.

Source: Neurobiology of Aging - March 15, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Niran Hadad, Archana Unnikrishnan, Jordan A. Jackson, Dustin R. Masser, Laura Otalora, David R. Stanford, Arlan Richardson, Willard M. Freeman Source Type: research