ARS | Publication request: Lipid metabolism, adipocyte depot physiology and utilization of meat animals as experimental models for metabolic research

Submitted to: International Journal of Biological Sciences
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: November 22, 2010
Publication Date: November 22, 2010
Citation: Dodson, M.V., Hausman, G.J., Guan, L.L., Du, M., Rasmussen, T.P., Poulos, S.P., Mir, P., Bergen, W.G., Fernyhough, M.E., Mcfarland, D.C., Rhoads, R.P., Soret, B., Reecy, J.M., Velleman, S.G., Ziang, Z. 2010. Lipid metabolism, adipocyte depot physiology and utilization of meat animals as experimental models for metabolic research. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 6(7):691-9.

Interpretive Summary: A number of experimental cell cultures and cell preparations from farm animals can be just as effective for biomedical purposes as the typical rat and mouse models. Farm animals are also very good models for fat cell studies because of their economic value for animal production. Major farm animals are valuable as models for studying fat metabolism and consequently represent an alternative effective model of the metbolic syndrome.

Technical Abstract: Meat animals are unique as experimental models for both lipid metabolism and adipocyte studies because of their direct economic value for animal production. This paper discusses the principles that regulate adipogenesis in major meat animals (beef cattle, dairy cattle, and pigs), the definition of adipose depot-specific regulation of lipid metabolism or adipogenesis, and introduces the potential value of these animals as models for metabolic research including mammary biology and the ontogeny of fatty livers.