Effects of a prolonged diet regimen on autophagic function in rat islets with aging.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increases with age-associated increased susceptibility of islet β-cells and altered dietary patterns, in part because of insufficient compensation of β-cell functional mass in the face of increasing insulin resistance. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a long-term calorie-restricted (CR) or high-fat (HF) diet compared to a normal ad libitum diet on β-cell structure-function relationships and autophagy in the islets of 3- and 24-month-old Fischer 344 rats.