Ketogenic diet and fasting induce the expression of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein with time-dependent hypothermia in the mouse liver

•A ketogenic diet and fasting induce time-of-day-dependent hypothermia in mice.•A ketogenic diet and fasting induce time-of-day-dependent Cirbp expression in mice.•A ketogenic diet affects the expression of circadian genes in the mouse liver.

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) induced by cold stress modulates the molecular circadian clock in vitro. The present study examines the effect of a ketogenic diet (KD) and fasting on Cirbp expression in the mouse liver. Chronic KD administration induced time-dependent Cirbp expression with hypothermia in mice. The circadian expression of clock genes such as Bmal1 and Clock was phase-advanced and augmented in the liver of mice fed with a KD. Transient food deprivation also induced time-dependent Cirbp expression with hypothermia in mice. These findings suggest that hypothermia is involved in the increased expression of Cirbp under ketogenic or fasting conditions.