Gut Microbiota Predicts Healthy Late-Life Aging in Male Mice

Calorie restriction (CR) extends lifespan and retards age-related chronic diseases in most species. There is growing evidence that the gut microbiota has a pivotal role in host health and age-related pathological conditions. Yet, it is still unclear how CR and the gut microbiota are related to healthy aging. Here, we report findings from a small longitudinal study of male C57BL/6 mice maintained on either ad libitum or mild (15%) CR diets from 21 months of age and tracked until natural death. We demonstrate that CR results in a significantly reduced rate of increase in the frailty index (FI), a well-established indicator of aging. We observed significant alterations in diversity, as well as compositional patterns of the mouse gut microbiota during the aging process. Interrogating the FI-related microbial features using machine learning techniques, we show that gut microbial signatures from 21-month-old mice can predict the healthy aging of 30-month-old mice with reasonable accuracy. This study deepens our understanding of the links between CR, gut microbiota, and frailty in the aging process of mice.

Automated summary

The study found that calorie restriction can significantly reduce the rate of increase in the frailty index (FI), showing that CR can slow down the aging process. Significant alterations in diversity and compositional patterns of the mouse gut microbiota were also observed during the aging process. The gut microbial features of 21-month-old mice can predict the healthy aging of 30-month-old mice with reasonable accuracy.