Animal models for obesity studies- From the Editor (Rohit Gundamaraju) May 21

Volume: 1 Issue: 2                                                                                                   May: 21

Animal models for obesity studies- From the Editor

Rohit Gundamaraju

Department of  Pharmacology, Malla Reddy Institute of Pharmacy

Obesity models:

Obesity models in animals are used to screen the detrimental effects of obesity in animals and to monitor the efficacy of anti-obesic drugs. Various models are now used on animals like rodents. The following are few animal models used for inducing perfectly.

High fat diet model (Butter induced obesity):

This model is classified under high fat diet model. Butter is used as the hyperlipidemic inducer in animal. 400mg of butter/Kg b.wt dissolved in 10ml of buffered saline is used for the induction of hypolipidemic rats.

High fat diet model (Cafeteria diet model):

Cafeteria diets (CD) animal models of obesity have been reported to bear close resemblance to human obesity. Cafeteria diet is the combination of different composition like supermarket highly palatable food. Cafeteria diets have been previously reported to increase energy intake and cause obesity in humans as well as animal. The cafeteria diet consisted of 3 diets (condensed  milk, 48g + bread, 48g), (chocolate, 18g + biscuits, 36g + dried coconut, 36g), (cheese, 48g + boiled potatoes, 60g).

High fat diet model (with corn oil and milk):

This high fat diet contains 23% whole wheat, 23% yellow corn, 11% barley, 17% milk., 1% bone meal, 1 % calcium chloride, 1% sodium chloride, 11% coconut oil, 11% butter and one multi vitamin capsule.

Hyper caloric diet model (Atherogenic diet Induced obesity):

Atherogenic diet (AD) is a hyper caloric diet and is prepared by mixing the following constituents in fixed percentage. The mentioned percentage is for 100g diet. The feed was prepared, dried and administered every day in morning to animals with water ad libitum. Atherogenic diet formula:

1. Cholesterol : 1%

2. Cholic acid : 0.5%

3. Olive oil : 5%

Mono sodium glutamate induced obesity:

The administration of MSG to newborn rats results in distinctive lesions in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) neurons. The neuronal loss impairs insulin and leptin signaling and impacts energy balance as well as pituitary and adrenal activity. In contrast to other models of obesity, MSG-treated rats are characterized by increased plasma levels of corticosterone as well as increased lipo- genesis and reduced lipolysis in the adipose tissue, despite their normophagia.

Progesterone induced obesity:

Progesterone is basically the harmone of pregnancy and motherhood. It plays an important role in the various activities and changes during pregnancy. It basically shows changes in the reproductive areas and organs like breast and other areas like endometrium. In some conditions, progesterone is a type of hormone where the female animals tend to eat more as an increase in the metabolism for the sake of various physiological functions in the body. So in this animal experiment model, the obesity is induced by the means of steroidal nature. By the administration of progesterone, the animals tend to eat more than the animals fed with normal diet, and there is considerable increase in the body weight and other parameters.

Animal models as the boon of nature- From the Editor (Rohit Gundamaraju)

Volume: 1 Issue: 2                                                                                                   May: 15

Animal models as the boon of nature- From the Editor

Rohit Gundamaraju

Department of  Pharmacology, Malla Reddy Institute of Pharmacy

Research areas like pharmacology and toxicology did count on animal models since ages. An animal model is basically considered as a living, non-human animal accommodated in the research and investigation of human disease, for the purpose of better understanding the disease without the added risk of harming an actual human being during the process. The animals called will usually accommodated a bent taxonomic adequation to humans, so as to acknowledge to disease or its analysis in a way that resembles human physiology as needed. Many drugs, treatments and cures for human diseases accept been developed with the use of animal models.

Rodents are the most commonly used vertebrate species, popular because of their availability, size, low cost, ease of handling, and fast reproduction rate . They are widely considered to be the prime model of inherited human disease and share 99% of their genes with humans. Rodents and other mammals like hamsters, primates, dogs, cats, pigs, sheep and horse were employed in animal models. There were many successful activities done on these antecedents of Mother Nature.

Many such animals are serving human kind for the escalation of research in various fields of science. It is with these creatures we are able to succeed in the field of research and able to flow the chain of novel drugs into the market. We should be ever thankful to the nature for a boon it has gifted us.