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Protocol for bilateral oophorectomy in mice: a reliable and cost-effective model for promoting an obesogenic state
Juliana Andrade Pereira1, Alice Crespo Ferreira1, Thaísa Soares Crespo1,2
1Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde - Montes Claros (MG) - Brazil.
Purpose:
To describe a low-cost bilateral oophorectomy technique and evaluate its effects on adiposity and metabolic alterations in female mice.
Methods:
An experimental design was used with 16 female mice divided into two groups: control (laparotomy; n = 8) and oophorectomy (OOF; n = 8). After anesthetic induction and antisepsis, the procedure involved a medial abdominal incision, identification, and removal of the ovaries, and closure of the abdominal cavity. Animals were monitored for 12 weeks, assessing body weight, food intake, mortality, surgical complications, and biochemical parameters.
Results:
The animals in the OOF group exhibited significant increases in body weight and visceral adiposity, despite consuming similar amounts of food and energy compared to the control group. Moreover, the OOF group exhibited alterations in biochemical metabolic parameters, characterized by elevated levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and glucose. No mortality was observed among the operated animals. In addition, no early or late postoperative complications were detected in either group. The average duration of the surgical procedure was approximately 7.45 minutes per mouse.
Conclusion:
The bilateral oophorectomy protocol is simple, low-cost, and requires minimal infrastructure. It represents a reliable experimental model for promoting an obesogenic state and metabolic alterations in female mice.