A new rat model for the study of obesity

Abstract

The currently used raL models of obesity and diabetes are derived from either Zucker or from Koletsky rats. Recently, we identified a spontaneous obese rat from out Wistar colony which is maintained as an inbred stock for the past 75 years. Initially, one of the male progeny in a litter was observed to have abnormal body weight for its age. The parents of this ral were identified, the progeny selectively bred, and a colony has been developed. This is designated as WNIN-0b. The colony is maintained by mating heterozygous animals (+/ob), as the homozygous (ob/ob) were found to be infertile. The trait is carried as an autosomal recessive mutation and the colony is currenfly in F7 generation.
Obesity is visible in these mutants around 35 days of age. They are hyperphagic and reach a body weight of 500—600 g by 105 days of age. “Kinky” tail is characteristic of this mutant and this is visible around 50-60 days. Sexual maturity is delayed in female obese mutants, as judged by the day of vaginal opening. The animals are cuglyccmic and show hyperinsulinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, arid hypercholesterolemia. Another mutant showing hyperglycemia is also obtained from
the obese colony. Unlike earlier models which are essentially derived from a randomAbred stock, this is the first report of a rat obese model, developed spontaneously from an inbred strain.