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Updated: Jan 18, 2026
An Experimental Model of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rabbit: Methodological Considerations, Development, and Assessment
Published on: April 20, 2018
Animal models of obesity
Diego Acuña1, Patricia Rivera-Reyes2, Camila Sandoval-Valenzuela3
1Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Sciences, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile; Department of Odontology, Faculty of Odontology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile.
Mouse models are essential for studying obesity, a complex disease caused by energy imbalance. This guide details methods like diet-induced obesity and genetic models, crucial for understanding human obesity.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic research
- Animal models in biomedical science
Background:
- Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease driven by energy imbalance.
- Mouse models are critical for dissecting obesity's genetic, environmental, and physiological underpinnings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of methodologies for establishing and studying obesity in mice.
- To highlight the translational relevance of mouse models to human obesity.
Main Methods:
- Diet-induced obesity (DIO) protocols to mimic environmental factors.
- Genetic models: whole-body knockouts (leptin-deficient ob/ob, leptin receptor-deficient db/db) and conditional knockouts (hypothalamus).
Main Results:
- Discusses key experimental design considerations for reproducibility and translational relevance.
- Highlights the utility of various mouse models in obesity research.
Conclusions:
- Mouse models are invaluable tools for advancing obesity research.
- This chapter serves as a practical guide for researchers utilizing mouse models in obesity studies.
