CALORIC RESTRICTION AND TOXICITY

The modulatory effects of caloric intake on the rate and extent of bot h spontaneous and induced disease incidence is well known, but the sig nificance of these effects in the interpretation of testing data has o nly recently become appreciated. This is especially true relative to t he impact of caloric intake on both survival and background incidence for common tumors. In order to enhance the health and survival of anim als ongoing chronic toxicity testing it has been suggested that such t ests should restrict food consumption. Although this restriction will result in increasing survival of the test animals, it may also effect the expression of toxicity by altering agent metabolism and disease pr ogression. Focus in this symposium is on the necessity to control diet ary consumption in toxicity tests (dietary control), and if such a nee d does exist to what level of consumption should be diet be focused (c aloric restriction).