Calorie Restriction Promotes Myelin Repair

Research Summary: Calorie restriction promotes remyelination in a Cuprizone-Induced demyelination mouse model of multiple sclerosis

Remyelination or myelin repair is the current ‘holy grail’ of multiple sclerosis research.  Whilst many of the existing treatments can be quite effective at stopping new attacks to the central nervous system, none of them are able to make any substantial difference in fixing the damage that has already occurred.  Being able to promote the repair of damaged myelin in people living with multiple sclerosis may help us, not only slow the disease process, but actually begin to reverse it.

One area of interest that researchers are investigating to promote this process of myelin repair is through dietary intervention.  Recently, we published a video summary of a study that showed that alternate day fasting may promote remyelination in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.  You can view that video here.  

Similarly, a new study, that was first published in July, has shown a similar potential for calorie restriction.  The work was mainly performed at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran.  The work was published in the journal ‘Metabolic Brain Disease’ and the abstract can be accessed here.

Let’s look at some of the key points from this research:

• • This was a small study done in mice.  The mice were separated into three groups, with 10 mice in each group.  The three groups were:  (1) healthy mice with no dietary restrictions, (2) mice with demyelination with no dietary restrictions and (3) mice with demyelination and a calorie restricted diet.

• • The calorie restricted diet involved feeding the mice one-third of the food that those on the unrestricted diet received.

• • The balance and coordination of the mice was tested in the final week of the experiment.  It was found that mice on the calorie restricted diet (group 3) performed significantly better in this test than those with demyelination on the normal diet (group 2).  This suggested a level of improvement in the functioning of the nervous system in the mice on the restricted diet.

• • Post-mortem brain tissue was analysed to see if any differences in demyelination could be observed.  As expected, the mice in group 2 (i.e. demyelination and normal diet) showed high levels of myelin loss.  However, in comparison, the mice that had the calorie restricted diet demonstrated significant signs of myelin repair.

• • The calorie restricted diet also seemed to reduce cell death and promote protective factors in the brain compared to the with mice with demyelination that were on the normal diet.

In summary, this study has presented some novel findings regarding the potential for calorie restriction to promote myelin repair.  However, it needs to be stated that this study was done in a mouse model of demyelination and only used quite small sample sizes.  Although the evidence presented is interesting, we must be careful to not jump to any conclusions about the possible benefits for people living with multiple sclerosis.  It is likely that much larger animal studies and then clinical trials will need to be completed before we have a clearer answer to that question.

If you would like to revisit past articles we have written on the topic of remyelination, please click here.