Late-onset obesity in mice transgenic for the human renin gene

Int J Mol Med. 2003 Jun;11(6):723-7.

Abstract

We previously generated a strain of transgenic mice carrying the human renin gene, hRN8-12, in the background of C57BL/6j. In this study, we discovered that hRN8-12 male mice, but not females, developed obesity starting at 15 weeks of age. The body weight of 60-week-old male transgenic mice was 2 times higher than that of age-matched wild-type mice. Interestingly, male mice heterozygous for the human renin gene showed moderate weight gain compared with transgenic and wild-type mice. Obese hRN8-12 mice exhibited hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia, and hyperlipidemia, and increase in weight in the adipose tissue, liver, heart, and kidneys. Histological analysis demonstrated that fatty hRN8-12 mice developed hypertrophy of pancreatic islets and fatty liver. These results suggested that hRN8-12 mice are associated with obesity dependent on the transgene dosage and should be a genetic model for late-onset obesity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Animals
  • Body Weight / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eating / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Dosage
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Obesity / genetics*
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Organ Size / genetics
  • Pancreas / pathology
  • Renin / genetics*
  • Renin / physiology*
  • Sex Characteristics

Substances

  • Renin