Abstract
It has recently been demonstrated that as the ratio of protein to carbohydrate (P:C) in the diet declines, life span increases in Drosophila. Here we explored how extremely low dietary ratios of protein to carbohydrate affected longevity and a selection of variables associated with functional senescence. An increase in P:C ratio from 1:57 to 1:20 shortened life span by increasing age-dependent mortality; whereas a further decline in P:C from 1:57 to 1:95 caused a modest decrease in life span. Female flies consuming the 1:20 and 1:38 diets laid more eggs than those consuming the lower P:C diets. Flies fed diets with higher ratios were more resistant to heat stress. Flies consuming the diets with lowest P:C ratios needed more time to restore activity after paralysis. Our study has therefore extended to very low P:C ratios available data demonstrating that dietary P:C ratio affects life span, fecundity and heat stress resistance, with fecundity and heat stress responses showing the opposite trend to life span.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 126-134 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences |
Volume | 67 A |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2012 |
Keywords
- Drosophila melanogaster
- Fecundity
- Heat shock
- Life span
- Protein-to-carbohydrate ratio
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aging
- Geriatrics and Gerontology