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Tan T, Song Z, Li W, Wang R, Zhu M, Liang Z, Bai Y, Wang Q, Wu H, Hu X, Xing Y. Modelling porcine NAFLD by deletion of leptin and defining the role of AMPK in hepatic fibrosis. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:169. [PMID: 37705071 PMCID: PMC10498639 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01124-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent cause of chronic hepatic disease and results in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which progresses to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Although the Leptin deficient rodent models are widely used in study of metabolic syndrome and obesity, they fail to develop liver injuries as in patients. METHODS Due to the high similarity with humans, we generated Leptin-deficient (Leptin-/-) pigs to investigate the mechanisms and clinical trials of obesity and NAFLD caused by Leptin. RESULTS The Leptin-/- pigs showed increased body fat and significant insulin resistance at the age of 12 months. Moreover, Leptin-/- pig developed fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrosis with age. Absence of Leptin in pig reduced the phosphorylation of JAK2-STAT3 and AMPK. The inactivation of JAK2-STAT3 and AMPK enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation and leaded to mitochondrial autophagy respectively, and both contributed to increased oxidative stress in liver cells. In contrast with Leptin-/- pig, although Leptin deletion in rat liver inhibited JAK2-STAT3 phosphorylation, the activation of AMPK pathway might prevent liver injury. Therefore, β-oxidation, mitochondrial autophagy and hepatic fibrosis did not occurred in Leptin-/- rat livers. CONCLUSIONS The Leptin-deficient pigs presents an ideal model to illustrate the full spectrum of human NAFLD. The activity of AMPK signaling pathway suggests a potential target to develop new strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tan Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Development Center of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyuan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenya Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Runming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingli Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zuoxiang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yilina Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanyu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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Sato M, Nakamura S, Inada E, Takabayashi S. Recent Advances in the Production of Genome-Edited Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052548. [PMID: 35269691 PMCID: PMC8910656 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The rat is an important animal model for understanding gene function and developing human disease models. Knocking out a gene function in rats was difficult until recently, when a series of genome editing (GE) technologies, including zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and the type II bacterial clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) systems were successfully applied for gene modification (as exemplified by gene-specific knockout and knock-in) in the endogenous target genes of various organisms including rats. Owing to its simple application for gene modification and its ease of use, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is now commonly used worldwide. The most important aspect of this process is the selection of the method used to deliver GE components to rat embryos. In earlier stages, the microinjection (MI) of GE components into the cytoplasm and/or nuclei of a zygote was frequently employed. However, this method is associated with the use of an expensive manipulator system, the skills required to operate it, and the egg transfer (ET) of MI-treated embryos to recipient females for further development. In vitro electroporation (EP) of zygotes is next recognized as a simple and rapid method to introduce GE components to produce GE animals. Furthermore, in vitro transduction of rat embryos with adeno-associated viruses is potentially effective for obtaining GE rats. However, these two approaches also require ET. The use of gene-engineered embryonic stem cells or spermatogonial stem cells appears to be of interest to obtain GE rats; however, the procedure itself is difficult and laborious. Genome-editing via oviductal nucleic acids delivery (GONAD) (or improved GONAD (i-GONAD)) is a novel method allowing for the in situ production of GE zygotes existing within the oviductal lumen. This can be performed by the simple intraoviductal injection of GE components and subsequent in vivo EP toward the injected oviducts and does not require ET. In this review, we describe the development of various approaches for producing GE rats together with an assessment of their technical advantages and limitations, and present new GE-related technologies and current achievements using those rats in relation to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Sato
- Department of Genome Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (S.T.); Tel.: +81-3-3416-0181 (M.S.); +81-53-435-2001 (S.T.)
| | - Shingo Nakamura
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Saitama 359-8513, Japan;
| | - Emi Inada
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan;
| | - Shuji Takabayashi
- Laboratory Animal Facilities & Services, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (S.T.); Tel.: +81-3-3416-0181 (M.S.); +81-53-435-2001 (S.T.)
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Pridans C, Raper A, Davis GM, Alves J, Sauter KA, Lefevre L, Regan T, Meek S, Sutherland L, Thomson AJ, Clohisey S, Bush SJ, Rojo R, Lisowski ZM, Wallace R, Grabert K, Upton KR, Tsai YT, Brown D, Smith LB, Summers KM, Mabbott NA, Piccardo P, Cheeseman MT, Burdon T, Hume DA. Pleiotropic Impacts of Macrophage and Microglial Deficiency on Development in Rats with Targeted Mutation of the Csf1r Locus. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 201:2683-2699. [PMID: 30249809 PMCID: PMC6196293 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1701783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We have produced Csf1r-deficient rats by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Consistent with the role of Csf1r in macrophage differentiation, there was a loss of peripheral blood monocytes, microglia in the brain, epidermal Langerhans cells, splenic marginal zone macrophages, bone-associated macrophages and osteoclasts, and peritoneal macrophages. Macrophages of splenic red pulp, liver, lung, and gut were less affected. The pleiotropic impacts of the loss of macrophages on development of multiple organ systems in rats were distinct from those reported in mice. Csf1r-/- rats survived well into adulthood with postnatal growth retardation, distinct skeletal and bone marrow abnormalities, infertility, and loss of visceral adipose tissue. Gene expression analysis in spleen revealed selective loss of transcripts associated with the marginal zone and, in brain regions, the loss of known and candidate novel microglia-associated transcripts. Despite the complete absence of microglia, there was little overt phenotype in brain, aside from reduced myelination and increased expression of dopamine receptor-associated transcripts in striatum. The results highlight the redundant and nonredundant functions of CSF1R signaling and of macrophages in development, organogenesis, and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Pridans
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom; .,The University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Raper
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma M Davis
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Joana Alves
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Kristin A Sauter
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Lucas Lefevre
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Regan
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Meek
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Sutherland
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Alison J Thomson
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.,New World Laboratories, Laval, Quebec H7V 5B7, Canada
| | - Sara Clohisey
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Bush
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Rocío Rojo
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Zofia M Lisowski
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Wallace
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen Grabert
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Kyle R Upton
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Yi Ting Tsai
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah Brown
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Lee B Smith
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales 2309, Australia; and
| | - Kim M Summers
- Mater Research-University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
| | - Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro Piccardo
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T Cheeseman
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Burdon
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - David A Hume
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom; .,Mater Research-University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
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Abstract
Since its domestication over 100 years ago, the laboratory rat has been the preferred experimental animal in many areas of biomedical research (Lindsey and Baker The laboratory rat. Academic, New York, pp 1-52, 2006). Its physiology, size, genetics, reproductive cycle, cognitive and behavioural characteristics have made it a particularly useful animal model for studying many human disorders and diseases. Indeed, through selective breeding programmes numerous strains have been derived that are now the mainstay of research on hypertension, obesity and neurobiology (Okamoto and Aoki Jpn Circ J 27:282-293, 1963; Zucker and Zucker J Hered 52(6):275-278, 1961). Despite this wealth of genetic and phenotypic diversity, the ability to manipulate and interrogate the genetic basis of existing phenotypes in rat strains and the methodology to generate new rat models has lagged significantly behind the advances made with its close cousin, the laboratory mouse. However, recent technical developments in stem cell biology and genetic engineering have again brought the rat to the forefront of biomedical studies and enabled researchers to exploit the increasingly accessible wealth of genome sequence information. In this review, we will describe how a breakthrough in understanding the molecular basis of self-renewal of the pluripotent founder cells of the mammalian embryo, embryonic stem (ES) cells, enabled the derivation of rat ES cells and their application in transgenesis. We will also describe the remarkable progress that has been made in the development of gene editing enzymes that enable the generation of transgenic rats directly through targeted genetic modifications in the genomes of zygotes. The simplicity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the CRISPR/Cas gene editing system, in particular, mean that the ability to engineer the rat genome is no longer a limiting factor. The selection of suitable targets and gene modifications will now become a priority: a challenge where ES culture and gene editing technologies can play complementary roles in generating accurate bespoke rat models for studying biological processes and modelling human disease.
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