title: Mice chronically fed a westernized experimental diet as a model of obesity, metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most studies in animals use diets with several features (for example low-fat, rich in micronutriments), likely to be strongly protective against chronic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study, performed in wild type outbred mice, was designed to evaluate the validity of a model of 'westernized' (W) diet reproducing, as closely as possible, the overall composition of an average human regime in western countries
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to the standard (S) diet, the W diet triggered a marked increase in adiposity with some characteristics of metabolic syndrome (hypercholesterolemia, hyperinsulinemia...). There was an heterogeneity in the propensity to become obese upon exposure to the W diet in female mice. Overweight mice also presented some disturbances of renal function, such as hyperalbuminuria and hypocitraturia. Mice adapted to the W diet showed a reduction of bone mineral density, especially the non-obese ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that a model of westernized diet could be appropriate for exploring the effects of mutations, drugs, or specific nutritional factors in animals and could be more relevant for human situations.
authors.affiliation: UMMM Unité des Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA de Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, 63122 St-Genes-Champanelle, France. demigne@clermont.inra.fr
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demigné
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bloch-Faure
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: Houda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sabboh
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Besson
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rémésy
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Geoffroy
authors.forename: Anh-Thu
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Gaston
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hagège
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meneton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D016482:Urinalysis; D015430:Weight Gain