TLDR Caloric restriction improves skin and fur structure but can cause muscle loss and movement issues.
Caloric restriction (CR) in mice led to significant structural and metabolic changes in the skin and fur, including an increase in hair follicle stem cells, thicker epidermis, and improved hair growth and retention. These adaptations enhanced the thermoregulatory properties of the fur, compensating for increased heat loss when fur was absent. CR also induced a shift towards more oxidative metabolism in the dermis, while the epidermis showed less oxidative activity. Despite these adaptations, CR mice experienced muscle loss and disrupted locomotion when shaved, indicating an energy crisis due to insufficient fat reserves. The study suggested that CR promotes skin and fur remodeling as an adaptive mechanism to maintain thermoregulation under caloric limitation.
92 citations
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September 2023 in “Stem cell research & therapy” Mesenchymal stem cells could help treat aging-related diseases better than current methods.
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