Longevity & AgingFasting-Mimicking Diet Shields Kidneys From Injury by Blocking Inflammatory Monocyte Recruitment
Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai tested fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) cycles in mice with aristolochic acid- or folic acid-induced kidney injury. FMD significantly lowered serum creatinine, BUN, tubular necrosis scores, and kidney injury marker KIM-1 compared to ad libitum-fed controls. It reduced infiltrating inflammatory monocytes and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) while suppressing pro-fibrotic genes and boosting reparative EGF expression. Blocking CCR2 — the receptor for the monocyte-recruiting chemokine CCL2 — abolished FMD's protective effects, identifying the CCL2/CCR2 axis as a key mediating pathway. Simple caloric restriction yielded similar benefits, and FMD initiated even at peak AKI accelerated repair, suggesting broad translational potential for dietary interventions in kidney disease.
