Development of transgenic animals for the study of feeding behavior and stress response

最近，在大脑和外周发现了用于摄食和体重调节的新的分子介质和调控途径。通过基因打靶产生了过度表达或缺乏这些介体的小鼠，对突变小鼠的观察揭示了每种元素在体重调节的动态平衡循环中的作用。我们已经培育出神经肽Y过表达的小鼠，它表现出焦虑样行为(异种小鼠)和肥胖倾向(同种小鼠)。我们还培育了胰腺多肽过度表达的小鼠，这种小鼠表现出与食物摄入量和胃排空率降低相关的瘦表型。这些都是为支持这项研究拨款而制作的例子。

Recently novel molecular mediators and regulatory pathways for feeding and body weight regulation have been identified in the brain and the periphery. Mice overexpressing or lacking these mediators have been produced by gene targeting, and observations on mutant mice have shed new light on the role of each element in the homeostatic loop of body weight regulation. We have developed neuropeptide Y overexpressing mouse which exhibited anxiety-like behavior (heteromouse) and obese tendency (homomouse). We have also developed pancreatic polypeptide overex-pressing mouse which exhibited thin phenotype associated with decreased food intake and gastric emptying rates. These are examples that were produced in support of this research grant.