Food deprivation had very little effect on gene expression in the brain. The brain makes few metabolic changes in response to nutrient shortages.

The liver had substantial changes in gene expression. 70% of these genes were down regulated, 30% were upregulated. These genes were involved in biological processes such as lipid, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism. For example, the main pathways of cellular respiration showed considerable changes, predominately a decrease in metabolism. Blue = increased expression in response to food restriction, Red = decreased. Interestingly, the enzymes with increased expression in these pathways are also involved in gluconeogenesis.