Interaction of growth hormone receptor/binding protein gene disruption and caloric restriction for insulin sensitivity and attenuated aging [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

The correlation of physiological sensitivity to insulin ( glycemic vis-à-vis regulation) and longevity is extensively established, creating a justifiable gerontological interest on whether insulin sensitivity is causative, or even predictive, of some or all phenotypes of slowed senescence (including longevity). The gene-disrupted growth hormone receptor/ binding protein (GHR-KO) mouse is the most extensively investigated insulin-sensitive, attenuated aging model. It was reported that, in a manner divergent from similar mutants, GHR-KO mice fail to respond to caloric restriction (CR) by altering their insulin sensitivity. We hypothesized that maximized insulin responsiveness is what causes GHR-KO mice to exhibit a suppressed survivorship response to dietary (including caloric) restriction; and attempted to refute this hypothesis by assessing the effects of CR on GHR-KO mice for varied slow-aging-associated phenotypes. In contrast to previous reports, we found GHR-KO mice on CR to be responsive than their (A.L.) less ad libitum counterparts to the hypoglycemia-inducing effects of insulin. Further, CR had negligible effects on the metabolism or cognition of GHR-KO mice. Therefore, our data suggest that the effects of CR on the insulin sensitivity of GHR-KO mice do not concur with the effects of CR on the aging of GHR-KO mice. 1 1 1 2 3 4