Angiogenesis in the New Zealand obese mouse model fed with high fat diet.
BACKGROUND
Obesity and its complications lead to vascular injury, atherosclerosis, diabetes and pathological angiogenesis. One of the models to study the obesity and its entanglements is the New Zealand Obese mice model. Aim of this study was to check the effect of high fat diet on changes in biochemical parameters as well as on process of angiogenesis in NZO mice.


METHODS
NZO mice were fed with standard (ST) or high fat (HF) diet for seven weeks. Body weight and serum biochemical parameters were monitored. The PECAM1 positive vessel-like structures immunostaining, as well as the gene expression of the matrigel penetrating cells by microarray (confirmed by real-time PCR method) were analyzed.


RESULTS
Mice fed with HF diet developed obesity. Number of newly created vessels with lumen was correlated with hyperglycemia and animal weight gain. The number of PECAM1 positive cells in matrigel tended to increase during HF diet. Microarray results revealed changes in gene expression (activation of the oxidative stress and insulin resistance, inhibition of apoptosis and cell differentiation), however without markers of endothelial cell network maturation.


CONCLUSIONS
Observed changes in the NZO mice on HF diet argue for the hyperglycemia related activation of angiogenesis, leading to the formation of pathological, immature network.
Balwierz
Adriana
A
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland. abalwierz@cm-uj.krakow.pl
Polus
Anna
A
Razny
Urszula
U
Wator
Lukasz
L
Dyduch
Grzegorz
G
Tomaszewska
Romana
R
Scherneck
Stephan
S
Joost
Hans
H
Dembinska-Kiec
Aldona
A