Influence of the restriction of individual dietary components on longevity and age-related disease of Fischer rats: the fat component and the mineral component.

The influence of restricting either the fat or the mineral component of the diet to the same extent as they are restricted in the life-prolonging, food-restriction paradigm but without restricting calories was studied in regard to longevity and age-related pathologic lesions of barrier-maintained male Fischer 344 rats. Neither the restriction of fat nor the restriction of mineral influenced the median length of life or maximum life span as indicated by the age of the 10th percentile survivors. Restricting the dietary fat did retard the development of chronic nephropathy and associated lesions, but it also increased the prevalence of lymphoma and leukemia. The development of chronic nephropathy was not significantly affected by restricting the mineral component of the diet.