title: Sexual dimorphism, weight gain and glucose intolerance in a B- and T-cell deficient mouse model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estrogen is thought to aid maintenance of insulin sensitivity potentially through modulation of a counter-regulatory mechanism that interferes with the contribution of adaptive and innate immune systems to visceral fat deposition. We evaluated the impact of estrogen on long-term high fat diet (HFD) intake in B- and T-cell deficient and immunocompetent animals comparatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 16 BALB and 16 SCID mice, 8 of each sex and strain, were randomized to receive low fat diet, 4.1% fat or HFD, 35% fat, such that there was a group of both each sex and each strain receiving each diet. Biweekly levels of adiponectin, leptin and insulin levels were assessed and a glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed after 13 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unlike their male counterparts, HFD-fed SCID females neither gained weight, nor became insulin resistant. Meanwhile, in the HFD-fed BALB groups both males and females gained weight similarly, but remarkable sexual dimorphism was nonetheless observed. The females had notable higher adiponectin levels as compared to males (10-60 μg/mL vs. 6-10 μg/mL respectively) causing the adiponectin-to-leptin (A/L) ratio to reach 80 one week after HFD initiation. The A/L dropped to 10, still higher than males, by week 13, but dropped to 2 by the end of the study in agreement with inverse insulin trends. None of the HFD-fed female groups developed insulin resistance (IR) by week 13, while all male counterparts had. Similar results were observed in the HFD-fed SCID groups whereby the females did not develop IR and had a higher A/L; however, adiponectin levels were comparable between groups (5-11 μg/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides lacking evidence indicating that estrogen may be sufficient to prevent weight gain and development of glucose intolerance in high-fat fed B- and T-cell deficient mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Zachary A P
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Wintrob
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Emmanuel K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Oppong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: Department of Math and Natural Sciences, D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martorana
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yu C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffery M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Welt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Hans R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Boateng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ioana M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Drumea
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Irlam
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Levea
authors.affiliation: Department of Math and Natural Sciences, D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Silviu L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Faitar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: acc36@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Alice C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ceacareanu
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000276:immunology; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin
keywords: Adaptive immune system; Adipokines; Estrogen; Insulin resistance; Sexual dimorphism