Hatano rats are a suitable metabolic syndrome model for studying feeding behavior, blood pressure levels, and percent body fat

Currently, metabolic syndrome is a worldwide concern. Thus, it is imperative to understand the mechanism of metabolic syndrome by establishing various metabolic syndrome models. In this study, we used Hatano high-avoidance animals (HAA) and low-avoidance animals (LAA), both derived from Sprague–Dawley rats by selective breeding to determine high- or low-avoidance rates in shuttle-box active avoidance tests. HAA and LAA rats have some strain differences related to eating and appetite. Therefore, we determined whether Hatano rats could be used as a metabolic syndrome model. We compared food intake, body weights, blood pressure levels, plasma component levels, and fat contents between HAA and LAA rats. The HAA rats showed more active eating, higher blood pressure, higher percentage fat, and higher triglyceride levels than the LAA rats—these features correspond to some of the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome. Our study suggests that HAA rats can be considered as a metabolic syndrome model by focusing on their feeding behavior, blood pressure levels, and percent body fat.

Hatano rats selectively bred for high- and low-avoidance learning: an overview

This review compiles the results of a series of studies on Hatano high- and low-avoidance animals (HAA and LAA, respectively) established at the Hatano Research Institute, Food and Drug Safety Center, Japan. The HAA and LAA lines were selected and bred from Sprague Dawley rats for high and low avoidance learning, respectively, in a shuttlebox task since 1985. Although Hatano rats were selected only based on their behavioral traits in the active avoidance task, strain differences between the HAA and LAA lines were also observed in their stress responses and reproductive functions. However, the most noticeable finding of Hatano rats is a matched result in both active and passive avoidance tasks. The HAA and LAA lines are useful for next-generation toxicological studies, because the hereditary characters of behaviors or endocrine functions are well controlled.

Genetic variation in low-dose effects of neonatal DES exposure in female rats

To confirm genetic variation in low-dose effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES), two inbred strains of rats, which have been selectively bred for high- and low-avoidance learning (HAA and LAA, respectively), were used in this study. LAA rats characteristically show later sexual maturation, earlier reproductive senescence, and lower body weight as compared to HAA rats. Female neonates of each strain were daily administered DES by oral gavage at doses of 0 (vehicle only), 0.05 and 0.5μg/kg for the first 5days after birth. As a result, early onset of abnormal estrous cycles was observed during the same period in HAA and LAA rats treated with 0.5μg/kg. However, accelerated puberty and excessive body weight gains were observed only in LAA rats treated with 0.05 and 0.5μg/kg. These results suggest that the effects of neonatal DES exposure vary with the genetic background of the female rats used.

Delayed reproductive dysfunction in female rats induced by early life exposure to low-dose diethylstilbestrol

A one-lifespan test was carried out to establish a test protocol for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Diethylstilbestrol was administered by oral gavage to neonatal rats at doses of 0.05, 0.5 and 5 μg/kg/day for 5 days after birth. Abnormal estrous cycles were observed throughout the study in all females from the 5 μg/kg group, and in 40% from the 0.5 μg/kg group from 24 weeks of age. The conception rate of 12-week-old females in the 5 μg/kg group was 0%, and that of the 23-week-old females in the 0.5 μg/kg group was 33.3%. No effect of DES was observed at the first parturition in any group, except for the 5 μg/kg group. However, litter size was significantly reduced in the 0.5 μg/kg group at the second parturition. These results indicated that a prolonged period of observation of reproductive function is necessary to determine EDCs reliably.

Epigenetics: prenatal exposure to genistein leaves a permanent signature on the hematopoietic lineage

Recent studies demonstrate that maternal diet during pregnancy results in long-lasting effects on the progeny. Supplementation of maternal diet with genistein, a phytoestrogen ubiquitous in the daily diet, altered coat color of agouti mice due to epigenetic changes. We studied hematopoiesis of mice prenatally exposed to genistein (270 mg/kg feed) compared with that of mice prenatally exposed to phytoestrogen-poor feed and observed a significant increase in granulopoiesis, erythropoiesis, and mild macrocytosis at the adult age of 12 wk. Genistein exposure was associated with hypermethylation of certain repetitive elements, which coincided with a significant down-regulation of estrogen-responsive genes and genes involved in hematopoiesis in bone marrow cells of genistein-exposed mice, as assessed by microarray technology. Although genistein exposure did not affect global methylation in fetal liver of fetuses at embryonic day 14.5, it accelerated the switch from primitive to definitive erythroid lineage. Taken together, our data demonstrate that prenatal exposure to genistein affects fetal erythropoiesis and exerts lifelong alterations in gene expression and DNA methylation of hematopoietic cells.