title: An extensive phenotypic characterization of the hTNFalpha transgenic mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is implicated in a wide variety of pathological and physiological processes, including chronic inflammatory conditions, coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, and cachexia. Transgenic mice expressing human TNFalpha (hTNFalpha) have previously been described as a model for progressive rheumatoid arthritis. In this report, we describe extensive characterization of an hTNFalpha transgenic mouse line.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In addition to arthritis, these hTNFalpha transgenic mice demonstrated major alterations in body composition, metabolic rate, leptin levels, response to a high-fat diet, bone mineral density and content, impaired fertility and male sexual function. Many phenotypes displayed an earlier onset and a higher degree of severity in males, pointing towards a significant degree of sexual dimorphism in response to deregulated expression of TNFalpha.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results highlight the potential usefulness of this transgenic model as a resource for studying the progressive effects of constitutively expressed low levels of circulating TNFalpha, a condition mimicking that observed in a number of human pathological conditions.
authors: Caliper Discovery Alliances & Services (Xenogen Biosciences), 5 Cedar Brook Drive, Cranbury, NJ 08512, USA. Michael.Hayward@CaliperLS.com
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Hayward
authors: Beverly K
authors: BK
authors: Jones
authors: Arman
authors: A
authors: Saparov
authors: Heather S
authors: HS
authors: Hain
authors: Anne-Cecile
authors: AC
authors: Trillat
authors: Michelle M
authors: MM
authors: Bunzel
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Corona
authors: Bifang
authors: B
authors: Li-Wang
authors: Bryan
authors: B
authors: Strenkowski
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Giordano
authors: Hai
authors: H
authors: Shen
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: Arcamone
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Weidlick
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Vilensky
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Tugusheva
authors: Roland H
authors: RH
authors: Felkner
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Campbell
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Rao
authors: David S
authors: DS
authors: Grass
authors: Olesia
authors: O
authors: Buiakova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010641:Phenotype; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha