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Creation and preliminary characterization of a leptin knockout rat.

ABSTRACT: Leptin, a cytokine-like hormone secreted mainly by adipocytes, regulates various pathways centered on food intake and energy expenditure, including insulin sensitivity, fertility, immune system, and bone metabolism. Here, using zinc finger nuclease technology, we created the first leptin knockout rat. Homozygous leptin null rats are obese with significantly higher serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin levels than wild-type controls. Neither gender produced offspring despite of repeated attempts. The leptin knockout rats also have depressed immune system. In addition, examination by microcomputed tomography of the femurs of the leptin null rats shows a significant increase in both trabecular bone mineral density and bone volume of the femur compared with wild-type littermates. Our model should be useful for many different fields of studies, such as obesity, diabetes, and bone metabolism-related illnesses.

SUBMITTER: Vaira S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3473197 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Creation and preliminary characterization of a leptin knockout rat.

Vaira Sergio S Yang Chang C McCoy Aaron A Keys Kelly K Xue Shurong S Weinstein Edward J EJ Novack Deborah V DV Cui Xiaoxia X

Endocrinology 20120904 11

Leptin, a cytokine-like hormone secreted mainly by adipocytes, regulates various pathways centered on food intake and energy expenditure, including insulin sensitivity, fertility, immune system, and bone metabolism. Here, using zinc finger nuclease technology, we created the first leptin knockout rat. Homozygous leptin null rats are obese with significantly higher serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin levels than wild-type controls. Neither gender produced offspring despite of repeated at ...[more]

PMID: 22948215

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Dataset Information

Creation and preliminary characterization of a leptin knockout rat.

Publications

Creation and preliminary characterization of a leptin knockout rat.

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