Physiological and Histological Studies of Obesity Inducing a High Fat - Diet in Adult NMRI Strain Mice

Obesity is a major health concern worldwide against which development of new strategies is warranted. Animal models are a valuable tool in these studies and could be developed using a simple and cost effective diet in susceptible strains. Adult NMRI mice weighing 25±4 g were fed by a high fat diet for six weeks (E group) in comparison with a control group(C) receiving standard chow. Weekly measurements of body weight were performed. Animals were sacrificed after six weeks, and abdominal fat amount, fat liver accumulation, and LDL-C, HDL-C, cholesterol and triglyceride were measured. Histological studies were done on kidney, liver and testis. Body weight of E group increased up to about 50% (1.25-fold more than C group), their abdominal fat amount showed a two-fold increase compared with the C group(p<0.001), and morphologic differences were observed in liver tissue relative to fat accumulation. Of biochemical factors, only triglyceride levels showed statistically significant increase in the E group (p<0.05). Microscopic assessment of kidney, liver and testis samples, regarding to cells size and number showed no significant differences between C and E groups. This method is proposed as a mean to simulate an early stage of obesity.