The anx/anx Mouse - A Valuable Resource in Anorexia Nervosa Research
Abstract
Animal models are invaluable resources in research concerning the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa (AN), to a large extent since valid clinical samples are rare. None of the existing models can capture all aspects of AN but they are able to mirror the core features of the disorder e.g., elective starvation, emaciation and premature death. The anorectic anx/anx mouse is of particular value for the understanding of the abnormal response to negative energy balance seen in AN. These mice appear normal at birth but gradually develops starvation and emaciation despite full access to food, and die prematurely around three weeks of age. Several changes in hypothalamic neuropeptidergic and -transmitter systems involved in regulating food intake and metabolism have been documented in the anx/anx mouse. These changes are accompanied by signs of inflammation and degeneration in the same hypothalamic regions; including activation of microglia cells and expression of major histocompatibility complex I by microglia and selective neuronal populations. These aberrances are likely related to the dysfunction of complex I (CI) in the oxidative phosphorylation system of the mitochondria, and subsequent increased oxidative stress, which also has bee...Continue Reading
References
Evidence for physiological down-regulation of brain oxidative phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease
Citations
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; New Tools for Investigating Molecular Mechanisms in Anorexia Nervosa
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