title: From mice to men--mouse models in obesity research: what can we learn?
abstract: Obesity has become a world-wide epidemic and is associated with diseases such as diabetes, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers. Understanding the adipose tissue developmental process, involving adipogenesis, angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodelling, is therefore crucial to reveal the pathobiology of obesity. Experimental mouse models are extensively used to gain new insights into these processes and to evaluate the role of new key players, in particular proteolytic system components, in adipose tissue development and obesity. In this paper, we will review available in vitro and in vivo murine models of obesity and discuss their value in understanding the mechanisms contributing to obesity.
authors: I. Scroyen, Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, CDG, Herestraat 49, Box 911, 3000 Leuven, Belgium, Tel.: +32 16 345775, Fax: +32 16 345990, E-mail: ilse.scroyen@med.kuleuven.be.
authors: Ilse
authors: I
authors: Scroyen
authors: Bianca
authors: B
authors: Hemmeryckx
authors: H Roger
authors: HR
authors: Lijnen
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D000818:Animals; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D059748:Proteolysis; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
keywords: Animal models; obesity; transgenic animals