title: Healthy ageing of cloned sheep.
abstract: The health of cloned animals generated by somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been of concern since its inception; however, there are no detailed assessments of late-onset, non-communicable diseases. Here we report that SCNT has no obvious detrimental long-term health effects in a cohort of 13 cloned sheep. We perform musculoskeletal assessments, metabolic tests and blood pressure measurements in 13 aged (7-9 years old) cloned sheep, including four derived from the cell line that gave rise to Dolly. We also perform radiological examinations of all main joints, including the knees, the joint most affected by osteoarthritis in Dolly, and compare all health parameters to groups of 5-and 6-year-old sheep, and published reference ranges. Despite their advanced age, these clones are euglycaemic, insulin sensitive and normotensive. Importantly, we observe no clinical signs of degenerative joint disease apart from mild, or in one case moderate, osteoarthritis in some animals. Our study is the first to assess the long-term health outcomes of SCNT in large animals.
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Corr
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.|Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rathbone
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: K H S
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Schools of Biosciences (KDS, CGG, PAF, J-HL, AJR, IC, KHSC), School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SAC, DSG), University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001823:Body Composition; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000804:Angiotensin II