@conference{
author = "Mladenović, Aleksandra and Prvulović, Milica and Milanović, Desanka and Sokanović, Srđan and Vukojević, Anđela and Simeunović, Valentina and Kanazir, Selma and Todorović, Smilja",
year = "2023",
abstract = "Dietary restriction (DR) is considered the gold standard in anti-aging treatment. Since
the first study on the beneficial effects of DR in 1935, countless research articles have
demonstrated numerous positive effects of DR. DR is often referred to as the elixir of
youth due to its proven ability to extend lifespan in various species. The beneficial
effects of DR are observed in many organ systems, including the prevention of age related diabetes and the reduction of the occurrence and progression of various
cancers, the improvement of various cardiovascular risk factors, and the delay of
osteoporosis and sarcopenia. As for the effects of DR on the nervous system,
numerous neuroprotective effects have been noted, such as the ability to preserve
cognition, delay brain atrophy, and protect against various neurodegenerative diseases.
By applying long-term dietary restriction during adulthood in male and female Wistar
rats, we demonstrated several beneficial results. DR increased the levels of synaptic
plasticity markers and neurotrophic factors in rat cortex and hippocampus and
preserved brain cholesterol homeostasis during aging. In addition, it suppressed
apoptotic cell death after cortical injury and restored age-related impaired
glucocorticoid receptor signaling (GR) in the brain. DR also demonstrated the ability
to alter the expression of genes involved in the pathology of AD and to suppress
microglial activation after cortical injury. Equally important, however, we found that
DR can also have negative effects depending on the age at which it was introduced
and the duration of treatment. Namely, we demonstrated that short-term
administration of DR at older ages had unfavorable effects on cognitive performance,
anxiety levels, and frailty in Wistar rats. In addition, DR showed some adverse effects
in transgenic AD animals. The results of our studies urge great caution in the
introduction of DR in humans, as the feasibility, safety, and adverse effects of DR as
an anti-aging measure in human populations have not been fully elucidated. To
achieve a positive effect, it is important to ensure that DR is used in a manner that
meets the nutritional needs of people of all ages.",
publisher = "Belgrade: Serbian Neuroscience Society",
journal = "Book of abstracts: 8th Congress of Serbian neuroscience society with international participation; 2023 May 31 - Jun 2; Belgrade, Serbia",
title = "Dietary restriction as an anti-aging intervention",
pages = "34",
url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_ibiss_5852"
}