Differences of calorie restriction and time-restricted feeding on metabolic indices and gut microbiota of mice

Cui Yuena; Chen Xiaoyu; Liang Meiting; Chen Wujin; He Yi; Dilinur·Ekpa; Du Manxi; Zhu Yuqiu; Abuduwupuer·Haibier; Sun Yuping

doi:10.12307/2025.907

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Both calorie restriction and time-restricted feeding,as two common dietary patterns,have been shown to improve health by regulating metabolism.However,the difference between these dietary patterns,metabolic indices,as well as the gut microbiota still requires further attention. OBJECTIVE:To explore the differences of calorie restriction and time-restricted feeding on the metabolic indices and gut microbiota of mice. METHODS:The C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups of ad libitum,calorie restriction,and time-restricted feeding(n=6 per group)for 28 weeks of dietary intervention.Various parameters such as body weight,food intake,glucose tolerance,serum fasting insulin,Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance,and leptin were measured.The impact of different interventions on the gut microbiota structure in mice was explored using 16S rRNA sequence analysis.Key operational taxonomic units responsive to dietary interventions were identified through LEfSe analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the ad libitum group,the body weight,food intake,area under the glucose tolerance curve of the calorie restriction and time-restricted feeding groups were decreased(P＜0.01),and the serum leptin was decreased(P＜0.05).The fasting insulin level and serum leptin level of the calorie restriction group were decreased(P＜0.05)and were significantly lower than those of the time-restricted feeding group(P＜0.05);homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance decreased in the calorie restriction group(P＜0.01).(2)Compared with the ad libitum group,the αdiversity of gut microbiota in the calorie restriction group and the time-restricted feeding group was decreased(P＜0.05),but the diversity of the time-restricted feeding group was slightly lower than that in the calorie restriction group.(3)There were 15 key operational taxonomic units related to calorie restriction and the time-restricted feeding intervention,of which 8 were positively correlated with metabolic phenotypes and their abundance decreased,and 3 were negatively correlated with metabolic phenotypes and their abundance increased(P＜0.05).OTU819 Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006 was positively correlated with body weight,area under the glucose tolerance curve,homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance,and fasting insulin,while OTU1397 Muribaculaceae was negatively correlated with these indicators.The results show that both calorie restriction and the time-restricted feeding intervention can improve the weight and glucose metabolism of mice,and both intervention modes caused the remodeling of the gut microbiota,which helped to improve the metabolic disorders.