title: Characterization of a new rodent model of diabetes insipidus: the Roman high avoidance rat homozygous for diabetes insipidus.
abstract: These experiments were designed to characterize the nature and extent of diabetes insipidus present in a new model of genetic vasopressin (VP) deficiency, the Roman high avoidance rat homozygous for diabetes insipidus (RHA: di/di strain). The new strain was developed from an initial cross between Long-Evans derived Brattleboro (LE:di/di) rats and normal Roman high avoidance (RHA: +/+) rats, and has been bred to be congenic with the parent RHA: +/+ strain. RHA: di/di rats exhibited polydipsia, excreted dilute urine, and exhibited elevated plasma osmolality. RHA: di/di rats shows a similar urinary response to dehydration as LE: di/di rats. VP was undetectable by radioimmunoassay in the serum, brain, and neurohypophysis of RHA: di/di rats. VP-neurophysin containing cells were not observed in the brains of RHA: di/di rats upon immunocytochemical analysis. Thus, the new RHA: di/di strain exhibits essentially the same profile of diabetes insipidus as the LE: di/di rat. The congenic relationship between RHA: di/di and RHA: +/+ rats makes the RHA: di/di rat a useful model under circumstances where genetic variables unrelated to VP deficiency may confound the interpretation of data.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D003919:Diabetes Insipidus / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D008297:Male; D009481:Neurophysins / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D009481:Neurophysins; D014667:Vasopressins