Animal Model Screening for Hyperlipidemic ICR Mice.

Area of Science:

• Animal Models
• Metabolic Diseases
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Hyperlipidemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
• Reliable animal models are crucial for studying hyperlipidemia pathogenesis and testing therapeutics.
• Optimizing model establishment time is key for experimental efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a hyperlipidemia model in ICR mice using a homemade high-fat diet.
• To determine the optimal feeding duration for successful hyperlipidemia model establishment.
• To investigate hyperlipidemia-related indicators and molecular changes over time.

Main Methods:

• ICR mice were fed a standard or high-fat diet for varying durations (0-12 weeks).
• Blood lipid profiles, organ indices, and liver lipid content were measured.
• Histopathological analysis (HE, Oil Red O) and molecular analysis (RT-qPCR, Western Blot) were performed.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in blood lipids and liver lipid accumulation were observed by week 9 in the high-fat diet group.
• Pathological changes in liver and adipose tissue correlated with lipid profiles at week 9.
• Key gene and protein expression (SREBP-2, Insig-1, HMGCR, LXRα, ABCA1, CYP7A1) were upregulated by week 9.

Conclusions:

• A homemade high-fat diet effectively induces hyperlipidemia in ICR mice.
• Week 9 represents the optimal time point for establishing a hyperlipidemia model in this study.
• The findings provide a valuable reference for future in vivo hyperlipidemia research.