Myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits with mesenteric fat accumulation are a novel animal model for metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether the myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbit with visceral fat accumulation is a new animal model for human metabolic syndrome, we examined the relationship between mesenteric fat accumulation and insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.


METHODS
Glucose tolerance tests were performed using adult (11- to 15-month-old) and middle-aged (17- to 21-month-old) WHHLMI rabbits fed standard chow restrictedly. In addition, lipoprotein lipid levels, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, mesenteric fat weight and physical and physiological parameters were measured. Mesenteric fat was stained immunohistochemically.


RESULTS
The mesenteric adipose tissue was positive for monoclonal antibodies against macrophages, C-reactive protein and monocyte chemoattractant protein. In adult rabbits, mesenteric fat correlated to aortic lesion area, insulin resistance, fasting immunoreactive insulin, serum CRP, abdominal circumference and body weight. In middle-aged rabbits, mesenteric fat correlated to lipoprotein lipid levels in addition to the parameters showing a significant correlation in adult rabbits, excluding aortic lesion area.


CONCLUSIONS
The WHHLMI rabbit with visceral fat accumulation is a new animal model for metabolic syndrome.
Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. ieakusm@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Masashi
M
Shiomi
Tsutomu
T
Kobayashi
Nobue
N
Kuniyoshi
Satoshi
S
Yamada
Takashi
T
Ito
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008643:Mesentery; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008074:Lipoproteins; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein