Middle-aged mice show delayed and destabilized food-anticipatory circadian activity under restricted feeding

Apr 9, 2026The journal of physiological sciences : JPS

Middle-aged mice have slower and less stable daily activity before scheduled feeding

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Abstract

Food-anticipatory activity (FAA) emerged significantly earlier in 12-week-old mice compared to 54-week-old mice during restricted feeding.

  • Mice typically exhibit nocturnal activity and feeding patterns under normal conditions.
  • Under a 4-hour daily feeding schedule, younger mice demonstrated earlier FAA than older mice.
  • After resuming ad libitum feeding, younger mice shifted their daytime activity back to nocturnal rhythms more effectively than older mice.
  • Some middle-aged mice displayed unstable patterns in their activity rhythm after returning to normal feeding.
  • These findings suggest that FAA is regulated by a circadian system that operates independently of the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
  • Aging may delay and disrupt the expression of FAA.

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