Adult-onset calorie restriction and fasting delay spontaneous tumorigenesis in p53-deficient mice

Heterozygous p53-deficient (p53(+/-)) mice, a potential model for human Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, have one functional allele of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. These mice are prone to spontaneous neoplasms, most commonly sarcoma and lymphoma; the median time to death of p53+/- mice is 18 months. We have shown previously that juvenile-onset calorie restriction (CR) to 60% of ad libitum (AL) intake delays tumor development in young p53-null (-/-) mice by a p53-independent and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)-related mechanism. To determine whether CR is effective when started in adult p53-deficient mice, and to compare chronic CR with an intermittent fasting regimen, male p53+/- mice (7-10 months old, 31-32 mice/group) were randomly assigned to the following regimens: (i) AL (AIN-76A diet), (ii) CR to 60% of AL intake or (iii) 1 day/week fast. Food availability on non-fasting days was controlled to prevent compensatory over feeding. Relative to the AL group, CR significantly delayed (P = 0.001) the onset of tumors in adult mice, whereas the 1 day/week fast caused a moderate delay (P = 0.039). Substantial variation in longevity and maximum body weight within treatments was not correlated with variation in growth characteristics of individual mice. In a separate group of p53 +/- mice treated for 4 weeks (n = five mice per treatment), plasma IGF-1 levels in CR versus AL mice were reduced by 20% (P < 0.01) and leptin levels were reduced by 71% (P < 0.01); fasted mice had intermediate levels of leptin and IGF-1. Our findings that CR or a 1 day/week fast suppressed carcinogenesis-even when started late in life in mice predestined to develop tumors due to decreased p53 gene dosage support efforts to identify suitable interventions influencing energy balance in humans as a tool for cancer prevention.