Effects of Chronic Food Restriction in Swine

Abstract

Male swine were fed a mixed human diet ad libitum for 44 weeks. Paired animals were given the diet in amounts that allowed only 50% of the weight gain of the fully fed group. The back-fat thickness of the ad libitum group averaged 1.9 in. terminally and that of the restricted animals was 0.3 in. The restricted group showed slightly elevated levels of serum cholesterol, phospholipid and ketones and of hepatic 5′-nucleotidase activity. Vascular pathology was indicative of delayed aging in the underfed group but tumorigenesis was enhanced. There was no positive correlation within groups between relative fatness and any other measured characteristic.