CORE--FACILITY FOR AGING RODENTS

老年啮齿动物核心设施（CFAR）提供动物和建议， 研究科学家希望使用动物模型来研究生物学， 衰老、衰老与疾病之间的关系，或治疗 可能导致人类干预试验发展的方法 与老年人的独立和保健有关。 CFAR是 由Richard A.米勒，病理学教授和 老年医学中心研究副主任。 兽医 咨询是由博士罗伯特Dysko，DVM，助理教授 实验动物医学 购买老龄和对照大鼠和小鼠 从NIA合同殖民地，并提供给胡椒中心的接收者 试点/可行性赠款，向希望获得 为准备OAIC申请提供试点数据，或 校外支持，并建立科学家谁希望开始研究 老年医学或老年学的问题， 外部支持。 这有助于接近老年啮齿动物， 吸引发展中和成熟的科学家到实验老年医学 并促进他们在这一领域的初步尝试，同时 时间确保他们获得咨询意见（从核心主任）的问题 品种和物种的选择，年龄组的适当选择，以及 显性或隐性疾病的可能影响。 核心资源也 致力于开发新的动物模型， 有利于研究衰老和老年病。 四个这样的模型 目前正在开发：（a）“HET”小鼠，通过四向杂交培育 从近亲繁殖的祖父母，以提供一定程度的可复制的遗传和 表型异质性更接近于存在的变异 （B）缺乏成年人的WI/Hicks/Car大鼠 生长使得它特别适合于跨年龄的研究 移植（例如肌肉和神经移植）;（c）mdx/mdx小鼠 在成年早期发展为轻度的肌肉萎缩症， 这可以提供一个有用的模型，晚年肌肉减少症;和（d） T（X;16）16 H x SPE（Mus spretus）F1杂交小鼠 有助于研究衰老过程中X染色体基因的再激活。 因此，CFAR为Pepper中心和其他U/M研究人员提供了 就实验设计进行咨询，促进老年大鼠的接触， 小鼠，并协助生产和表征新的啮齿动物模型 对研究衰老特别有用， 其他地方

The Core Facility for Aged Rodents (CFAR) provides animals and advice for research scientists who wish to use animal models to study the biology of aging, the relationship between aging and disease, or therapeutic approaches that could lead to the development of human intervention trials relevant to the independence and health care of the elderly. CFAR is directed by Dr. Richard A. Miller, Professor of Pathology and the Associate Director for Research of the Geriatrics Center. Veterinary consultation is provided by Dr. Robert Dysko, DVM, Assistant Professor of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Aged and control rats and mice are purchased from the NIA Contract Colonies and supplied to recipients of Pepper Center Pilot/Feasibility Grants, to junior faculty scientists who wish to acquire pilot data towards the preparation of an application for OAIC or extramural support, and to established scientists who wish to begin study of a problem in geriatrics or gerontology for which they do yet have external support. This facilitated access to old rodents serves to attract developing and established scientists to experimental geriatrics and to facilitate their initial forays in this field, while at the same time ensuring that they obtain advice (from the Core Director) on matters of choice of strain and species, appropriate selection of age groups, and possible influence of overt or latent diseases. Core resources are also devoted to the development of novel animal models that present unique advantages for studies of aging and geriatric diseases. Four such models are currently under development: (a) "HET" mice, bred by a four-way cross from inbred grandparents, to provide a degree of reproducible genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity that more closely resembles the variation present in aging human populations; (b) the WI/Hicks/Car rat whose lack of adult growth makes it particularly suited for studies of cross-age transplantation (e.g. of muscle and nerve grafts); (c) the mdx/mdx mouse that develops a mild form of muscular dystrophy in early adult life and that may provide a useful model of late life myopenia; and (d) the T(X;16)16H x SPE (Mus spretus) F1 hybrid mouse, a cross-species hybrid useful for investigations of X chromosome gene reactivation in aging. CFAR thus provides Pepper Center and other U/M researchers with consultation on experimental design, facilitated access to aged rats and mice, and assistance in producing and characterizing new rodent models that are particularly useful for studies of aging and not available elsewhere.