Abstract
The surface areas of corneal endothelial cells from 12- and 18-month-old male Fischer 344 rats fed ad libitum or a calorie-restricted diet were compared. The rats fed the restricted diet in both age groups showed a statistically significant reduction in the mean cell area of the corneal endothelium. The data indicate that dietary restriction retarded the age-related endothelial cell loss and the subsequent enlargement that takes place to compensate for cell loss. This is the first report to suggest that dietary restriction retards age-related cell loss.
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