Obesity

Obesity is one of the most critical chronic metabolic disorders of the future in humans; it affects more than 300 million people worldwide according to WHO. The prevalence of obesity predominant in the United States and slowly gaining entry into developing countries as well. This condition results from a prolonged imbalance between the levels of energy intake and expenditure with the resultant surplus being stored as body fats. Obesity also linked with other conditions, such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and coronary heart disease.

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Experimental animal models produced spontaneously by selective inbreeding, genetic modification, and dietary modification are essential tools for understanding the pathogenesis, complications, and testing of various therapeutic agents. Invitek offers several rodent models, ob/ob, DIO and ZDF rat model for the screening and evaluating new drugs and formulations.

Ob/ob Mouse Model

The obese spontaneous mutant model developed by the Jackson Laboratory in 1949 by a spontaneous mutation in the V stock. Mice exhibit obese, hyperphagia, a diabetes-like syndrome of hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, and elevated plasma insulin. Homozygous gain excess weight and deposit excess fat. The obesity characterized by the increase in both the number and the size of adipocytes. Ob/ob mouse an excellent model for the evaluation of new drugs and formulations.

DIO (Diet-Induced Obesity) Mouse or Rat Model

Obesity is a defined as a metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by the concurrent existence of dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertension. C57BL/6 inbred strain provides an excellent model to study development/prevention, because of its susceptibility and related disorder that are highly analogous to those conditions related to humans. C57BL/6 mice, when mice fed on 60% Kcal high-fat diet for 4-8 weeks they develop the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

ZDF fa/fa Rat Model

The Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rat an animal model of Type II diabetes based on impaired glucose tolerance caused by the inherited insulin-resistance gene fa. The genetic defects lead to obesity, hyperphagia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperinsulinemia. Homozygous (fa/fa) Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats used as a model of Type II diabetes study, while heterozygous (fa/+) ZDF rats used as non-diabetic controls.