INFLUENCE OF LOW PROTEIN-DIET ON THE LIFE-SPAN OF MALE AND FEMALE C57B1 MICE

Abstract The feeding of a diet lower in protein (LP: 13.7 per cent) than the normal higher protein stock diet (HP:22.6 per cent) but of equivalent caloric concentration to C57B1 mice led to significant life span prolongation of the males but not of the females. Male mice which started LP diet feeding at 3 months of age, showed a longer life span than males starting at 3 weeks of age. Both in LP fed males as well as in females the number of lymphoid tumours nearly doubled. This indicates that tumour incidence is probably independent of life span prolongation. Enlargement of seminal vesicles was found in 21 per cent of the LP in comparison with 54 per cent of the HP males.