Caloric restriction in Hippocampus erectus

In this study, we investigated the effects of caloric restriction (CR) on growth, gene expression, and gut microbiota in Hippocampus erectus, and explored the possibility of a rejuvenating effect by comparing CR and ad libitum (AL) seahorses with young (CY) or old seahorses (CO). For the study three-month-old seahorses were subjected to either AL or intermittent fasting diets over 5 months, inducing CR due to their lack of a stomach. Total mRNA sequencing of liver, head kidney, and gonads was conducted on 40 individuals (10 AL, 10 CR, 10 CY, CO, including males and females), making a total of 120 samples.