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C57BL/6J substrain differences in response to high-fat diet intervention
Majken Storm Siersbæk1,2, Nicholas Ditzel3, Eva Kildall Hejbøl4
1Functional Genomics and Metabolism Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense M, Denmark.
Scientific Reports
|August 22, 2020
Summary
Differences in diet-induced obesity (DIO) were observed among C57BL/6J mouse substrains from different vendors. These findings highlight the importance of considering vendor-specific effects when using these models for obesity research.
Area of Science:
- Animal Models
- Obesity Research
- Genetics and Microbiology
Background:
- C57BL/6J mice are common models for diet-induced obesity (DIO).
- Substrains from different vendors may exhibit genetic drift and environmental variations, including microbiome differences.
- Vendor-specific effects can confound DIO study outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare diet-induced obesity (DIO) in C57BL/6J-related substrains from three distinct vendors.
- To investigate the impact of high-fat diet (HFD) and western diet (WD) on adiposity across these substrains.
- To identify potential vendor-specific influences on DIO outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of C57BL/6J substrains from Charles River, Taconic Bioscience, and Janvier.
- Induction of DIO using a high-fat diet (HFD) or a western diet (WD) with fructose supplementation.
- Assessment of body weight gain, adipose tissue mass (iWAT, eWAT), and liver triglycerides.
Main Results:
- All substrains showed similar weight gain on HFD, but C57BL/6JBomTac had lower fat percentage and adipose tissue mass.
- On WD, C57BL/6J exhibited greater weight gain, increased adipose tissue, and higher liver triglycerides compared to other substrains.
- Diet significantly impacted the gut microbiota, but no major inter-substrain differences were observed.
Conclusions:
- Significant vendor- and diet-specific differences exist in diet-induced adiposity among C57BL/6J substrains.
- These variations in DIO response should be carefully considered when designing animal studies.
- Vendor selection is crucial for reproducibility in DIO research using C57BL/6J mice.
