Carbon, Nitrogen, And Sulfur Elemental And Isotopic Variations In Mouse Hair And Bone Collagen During Short-Term Graded Calorie Restriction

This study examined the effects of short-term graded calorie restriction (CR) on the elemental and isotopic composition of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in mouse hair and bone collagen, using 39 male C57BL/6 mice. It found that CR led to significant decreases in the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur content of bone collagen, with more pronounced changes in bone collagen than in hair keratin. The isotopic values of δ15N and δ13C decreased in both hair and bone collagen under CR, indicating shifts in protein and lipid metabolism. The study suggests that CR may alter collagen structure, affecting the interpretation of isotopic data in archaeological studies, but the changes are not sufficient to diagnose short-term dietary stress. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which CR influences collagen composition and to explore the potential use of elemental content as an indicator of past nutritional stress.