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Sex hormone-binding globulin or ABP/SHBG is an extracellular androgen and oestrogen carrier. In the rat, ABP/SHBG is secreted by Sertoli cells of the testis and is thought to regulate androgen bioavailability in the male reproductive tract. During ontogenesis, ABP/SHBG is expressed in many mesoderm-derived tissues, including interdigital mesenchyme of the developing autopodium. Shbg is thus a candidate for Hd, comprising autopodium (hand and foot) reduction and male sterility resulting from spermatogenesis impairment. Moreover, linkage mapping of Hd revealed that an intragenic marker for Shbg, D10Wox12, was non-recombinant with Hd. Sequencing of the entire coding sequence of Shbg failed to identify any variation in hypodactylous animals, distinct from two control strains. However, RT-PCR analysis revealed a significantly higher level of the Shbg transcript in hypodactylous rats compared to SHR controls. Whether Shbg expression is upregulated due to a cis-acting mutation in regulatory elements of the Shbg gene or it is a secondary result of spermatogenesis failure remains to be determined.

A new contiguous genetic linkage map of the HXB/BXH set of rat recombinant inbred (RI) strains was constructed to enhance QTL mapping power and precision, and thereby make the RI strain set a better genomics resource. The HXB/BXH rat RI strains were developed from a cross between the hypertensive SHR/OlaIpcv and normotensive BN- Lx/Cub rat strains and have been shown useful for identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) for a variety of cardiovascular, metabolic, and behavioral phenotypes. In the current analysis, the DNAs from 31 existing strains, 1 substrain, and 4 extinct strains were genotyped for a selection of polymorphic microsatellite marker loci, predominantly polymorphic framework markers from high-density integrated rat genome maps. The resulting linkage map consists of 245 microsatellite markers spanning a total length of 1789 cM with an average inter-marker distance of ~8.0 cM. This map covers the rat genome contiguously and completely with the exception of two locations on Chromosomes (Chrs) 11 and 16. The new genotypic information obtained also permitted further genetic characterization of the RI strain set including strain independence, genetic similarity among the individual strains, and non-syntenic associations between loci.

The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique has been used to enhance marker density in a large set of recombinant inbred strains (H x B and B x H) derived from a spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR/OlaIpcv) and a Brown-Norway (BN.lx/Cub) inbred strain. Thirteen different primer combinations were tested and a total of 191 polymorphic bands were detected. From these polymorphic bands 89 AFLP markers could be assigned to specific chromosomes. Several of these AFLP markers were mapped to regions with low marker density, thus filling up gaps in the existing genetic map of these recombinant inbred strains. These results substantiate the value of the AFLP technology in increasing marker density in genetic maps.

A new PXO set of RIS represents a fixed F2 population derived from polydactylous (P) congenic strain SHR.Lx and oligodactylous (O) RI strain BXH2. The PXO strains were derived as a complementary set to current RIS (HXB, BXH) of the laboratory rat. All PXO strains are homozygous in the Lx allele and express different morphological phenotypes of the polydactyly-luxate syndrome (PLS) due to variable combinations of Lx modifying genes of either SHR or BN origin. The SDP is being built up by genotyping polymorphic microsatellite markers and several gene polymorphisms. The markers were ordered according to data from public mapping resources such as the Rat Genome Database (rgd.mcw.edu) and current SDP of the other RI strain sets (HXB, BXH). The resulting map corresponding to the common SDP of HXB, BXH RIS sets consists of 448 markers, from which 261 were proven to be polymorphic in the PXO set. The SDP of PXO strains with polymorphic markers arranged in approximately 5 cM intervals is ready for the association analysis and interval mapping in interconnection with the SDP of HXB/BXH strains.

Total genome scans of genetically segregating populations derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and other rat models of essential hypertension suggested a presence of quantitative trait loci (QTL) regulating blood pressure on multiple chromosomes, including chromosome 5. The objective of the current study was to test directly a hypothesis that chromosome 5 of the SHR carries a blood pressure regulatory QTL. A new congenic strain was derived by replacing a segment of chromosome 5 in the SHR/Ola between the D5Wox20 and D5Rat63 markers with the corresponding chromosome segment from the normotensive Brown Norway (BN/Crl) rat. Arterial pressures were directly monitored in conscious, unrestrained rats by radiotelemetry. The transfer of a segment of chromosome 5 from the BN strain onto the SHR genetic background was associated with a significant decrease of systolic blood pressure, that was accompanied by amelioration of renal hypertrophy. The heart rates were not significantly different in the SHR compared to SHR chromosome 5 congenic strain. The findings of the current study demonstrate that gene(s) with major effects on blood pressure and renal mass exist in the differential segment of chromosome 5 trapped within the new SHR.BN congenic strain.

The PD/Cub is a recently established model of the IRS. The BN.SHR4 congenic strain was derived by introgression of the chromosome 4 segment of SHR origin (including the defective Cd36/Fat allele) onto the BN/Cub genetic background. We investigated the linkage of metabolic and morphometric phenotypes (total body weight, OGTT, fasting serum levels of TG, FFA) on chromosome 4 in two separate F2 rat populations: the PD/Cub x BN/Cub and PD/Cub x BN.SHR4 (total N = 243). In the PD/Cub x BN.SHR4 F2s, we found significant linkage for fasting TG levels (LOD = 3.26) and suggestive linkage for fasting glycaemia (LOD = 2.80) in the interval Il-6 - D4Bro1, i.e. the part of chromosome 4 of SHR origin in the BN.SHR4 congenic. However, no linkage for fasting TG concentrations, fasting glycaemia or any other followed parameter was found in the second, PD/Cub x BN/Cub F2. The differential linkage of TG and glucose levels to the centromeric part of rat chromosome 4q in the studied F2s points to the importance of this region for the lipid and carbohydrate metabolism at the specific age (10 months) and diet (standard chow) combination. The Cd36/Fat and Il-6 genes are the preliminary positional candidates for the observed effect.

Objective: To determine to what extent urinary excretion of blood pressure-modulating electrolytes is genetically determined, and to identify their chromosomal localization., Design and Methods: Twenty-six rat recombinant inbred strains (RIS) originating from reciprocal crosses of normotensive Brown Norway (BN.Lx) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used. A pilot experiment on a subset of strains determined that fasting decreases the impact of environmental noise and increases that of heritability. Twenty-four-hour urinary collections were obtained from fasting rats aged 6-12 weeks (3-8 rats per strain). Sodium (Na), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) excretions were measured, and the Na/K ratio calculated. These phenotypes served as quantitative traits for the search of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) by scanning the RIS genome that was mapped with 475 polymorphic markers., Results: Constant Na intake resulted in a low heritability for Na excretion, reflecting the environmental impact (intake = excretion), whereas fasting revealed a gradient among RIS indicative of the genetic component of the traits. In the fasting state, a locus on chromosome 14 was found to be significantly associated with K excretion (Alb, P = 0.00002, r = -0.69, logarithm of the odds score (LOD) 3.9), whereas another locus on chromosome 10 (D10Cebrp97s5, P = 0.0003, r = -0.69, LOD 3.0) and one on chromosome 6 (D6Cebrp97s14, P = 0.0007, r = -0.65, LOD 1.9) were more significantly associated with Na excretion and the Na/K ratio respectively. The observed correlations were all negative for Na, K and Na/K, indicating a higher excretion of Na and K and a greater Na/K ratio in rats bearing BN.Lx alleles at these loci, i.e. salt retention in fasting SHR. These three loci accounted for 47-55% of variance of their associated trait, suggesting that they are the main genetic determinants for these phenotypes in basal fasting conditions. Rats bearing the Y chromosome of SHR origin had significantly higher K excretion that, in turn, led to a significantly lower Na/K ratio. Finally, a locus on chromosome 7 was linked to Ca excretion, explaining 46% of the trait variance (D7Mit10, LOD score 3.0)., Conclusion: RIS enabled us to determine QTLs for environmentally modulated traits such as Na, K and Ca excretions. We demonstrated that whereas urinary electrolytes are determined mainly by intake (environment) in a steady state, their excretion in an adaptive state (fasting) is predominantly genetically determined by distinct QTL on autosomes as well as the Y chromosome. Furthermore, the loci responsible for Na and K excretions act independently of the locus governing the relative excretion of Na/K. Thus, the salt-retaining aspects of some hypertensives may be, in large part, determined by genes responsible for renal excretion, the impact of which is predominant over the environment under acute challenge.

Studies on genetic determination of the insulin resistance syndrome in rat models revealed several susceptibility loci for features of this complex phenotype, i.e. dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and obesity. We analysed the influence of introgression of the RNO4, RNO20 segments of SHR origin and RNO8 segment of PD/Cub origin (all previously shown to be involved in (dys)regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism) onto the genetic background of a common progenitor, the Brown Norway (BN/Cub) rat. The differential segments were genetically characterized in the BN.PD-D8Rat39/D8Rat35 (BN-Lx, RNO8 congenic), BN.SHR-Il6/Cd36 (BN.SHR4, RNO4 congenic) and BN.PD-D8Rat39/D8Rat3, SHR-D4Mgh2/Cd36,SHR-D20Wox3/D20Mgh5 (BN-Lx 1K, RNO4, 8, 20 triple congenic) strains and their metabolic profiling was performed. After one week of high-sucrose diet, all congenic strains showed substantially higher levels of serum triglycerides and free fatty acids as well as impaired glucose tolerance in comparison with the BN/Cub progenitor strain. The BN-Lx 1K triple congenic strain displayed the most profound dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance and highest increase of triglyceridemia in response to high-sucrose diet overall, though accompanied with the significantly lowest adiposity index. These results further support the role of genes present within the studied chromosomal regions in observed metabolic disturbances. Furthermore, these findings point to the studied loci within the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions involved in pathogenesis of the insulin resistance syndrome. The set of defined congenic strains provides a possibility of assessing individual features of such a complex phenotype.

RSG is a member of the TZD group of drugs widely used in treatment of type 2 diabetes. The underlying mechanism of TZD action in insulin-sensitive tissues is not fully understood. In this study we show that 14-day RSG administration in a new rodent model of metabolic syndrome X, polydactylous rat strain (PD/Cub), substantially improves its lipid profile (serum TGs 4.20 +/- 0.23 vs 2.34 +/- 0.14 mmol/l, P < 0.0001; FFA 0.46 +/- 0.05 vs 0.33 +/- 0.02 mmol/l, P = 0.017), diminishes the liver TG depots (15.76 +/- 0.60 vs 8.44 +/- 0.55 micromol/g, P < 0.0001), serum insulin concentrations (1.10 +/- 0.08 vs 0.63 +/- 0.02 nmol/l, P < 0.0001) and promotes visceral adiposity (adiposity index 1.28 +/- 0.03 vs 1.85 +/- 0.07, P < 0.0001). No changes were observed in serum or liver concentrations of cholesterol. Concomitantly, both basal and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis in red-fibre type muscle (m. soleus) was enhanced, as well as glucose uptake into adipose tissue. However, glucose oxidation in soleus (basal and insulin-stimulated) remained unchanged. In consent with previously published data we suggest the current pharmacogenetic study as a further proof of substantial influence of genetic background on the physiological outcome of TZD therapy.

Stress is a critical contributor to cardiovascular diseases through its impact on blood pressure variability and cardiac function. Familial clustering of reactivity to stress has been demonstrated in human subjects, and some rodent models of hypertension are hyperresponsive to stress. Therefore, the present study was designed to uncover the genetic determinants of the stress response. We performed a total genome linkage search to identify the loci of the body temperature response to immobilization stress in a set of recombinant inbred strains (RIS) originating from reciprocal crosses of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with a normotensive Brown Norway Lx strain. Two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were revealed on chromosomes (Chrs) 10 and 12 (logarithm of odds scores, 2.2 and 1. 3, respectively). The effects of these QTLs were enhanced by a high sodium diet (logarithm of odds scores, 4.0 and 3.3 for Chrs 10 and 12, respectively), which is suggestive of a salt-sensitive component for the phenotype. Congenics for Chr 10 confirmed both the QTL and the salt effect in RIS. Negatively associated loci were also identified on Chrs 8 and 11. Interaction between the loci of Chrs 10 and 12 was demonstrated, with the rat strains bearing SHR alleles at both loci having the highest thermal response to stress. Furthermore, the Y Chr of SHR origin enhanced the response to immobilization stress, as demonstrated in 2 independent models, RIS and Y Chr consomics. However, its full effect requires autosomes of the SHR strain. These findings provide the first evidence for the genetic determination of reactivity to stress with interactions between autosomal loci and between the Y and autosomal Chrs that contribute to the explanation of the 46% of variance in the stress response.

The SHR is the most widely studied animal model of hypertension. In this strain, as in many humans with essential hypertension, increased blood pressure has been reported to cluster with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. However, the genetic mechanisms that mediate this clustering of risk factors for cardiovascular disease or the hypertension "metabolic syndrome" remain poorly understood. In the current studies, we have demonstrated (1) that a gene or genes responsible for a whole spectrum of cardiovascular risk factors mapped to a limited segment of the centromeric region of rat chromosome 4, (2) that a spontaneous deletion in the gene for Cd36 that encodes a fatty acid transporter and is located directly at the peak of QTL linkages on chromosome 4 has been indirectly linked to the transmission of insulin resistance, defective fatty acid metabolism, and increased blood pressure, and (3) based on complementation analysis in two transgenic lines expressing wild-type Cd36 on the genetic background of the SHR strain harboring the deletion variant of Cd36, we have established that defective Cd36 can be a determinant of disordered fatty acid metabolism, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance in spontaneous hypertension.

Genome scan and metabolic profile of the PD/Cub rat inbred strain in comparison with SHR and BN strains is presented. The PD/Cub strain has been bred by brother sister mating for more than 60 generations since 1969. Its highly inbred status has been confirmed by PCR genotyping with more than 170 microsatellite markers. No case of residual heterozygosity has been recorded. Accordingly, the values obtained by the analysis of metabolic phenotypes are homogeneous with low variance. The PD/Cub strain has significantly higher triglyceride levels and epididymal fat weight as compared to both SHR and BN strains. The PD strain also displays the lowest incorporation of 14C-U glucose into the epididymal adipose tissue. The data on glucose metabolism clearly indicate that the PD/Cub strain is insulin resistant. Genetic homogeneity and reproducibility of experimental results qualify the PD/Cub rats as an animal model for analysis of the syndrome X.

Autosomal recessive rat hypodactylous mutation Hd leads in homozygous condition to reductive changes of the digital arch of all feet. There is a variable preaxial reduction of the number of fingers in both sexes. Moreover, homozygous males are sterile. Testes of homozygous Hd/Hd and +/Hd adult rats were examined in the light and electron microscopes. Spatial organization of stages of the spermatogenetic cycle was not confirmed in Hd/Hd testes comparing with +/Hd males. Significant decrease in the number of germ cells in seminiferous tubules of Hd/Hd testes was accompanied with loosening and vacuolization of the seminiferous epithelium. The assignment of the Hd locus to RNO10 excluded the suspected homology between rat and mouse Hd mutations. More precise mapping using microsatellite markers revealed close linkage of the Hd locus with the D1OMit8 marker defining Syb2 gene coding for synaptobrevin 2. A chromosomal segment of RNO10 carrying Hd and Syb genes is being incrossed onto BN and SHR inbred strains in order to examine the modifying influences of different genetic backgrounds.

The HXB/Ipcv and BXH/Cub sets of recombinant inbred (RI) strains were derived from the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR/OlaIpcv) and normotensive Brown Norway (BN-Lx/Cub) rats. The RI strains were produced as a model system for genetic and correlation analysis of spontaneous hypertension and other risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. The RI strains were phenotyped in multiple hemodynamic and metabolic traits. In the current study, we describe strain distribution patterns of 632 genetic markers.

We have shown previously that administration of endotoxin induces a smaller decrease of body temperature in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) than in normotensive Brown Norway (BN) rats. Several studies have suggested that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is one of the mediators of the body-temperature response to endotoxin. To test whether the TNFalpha gene could be involved in determination of the observed difference in the body-temperature response to endotoxin, we studied SHR (n = 6) and a congenic strain, SHR.1N (n = 5), which differs from SHR by a segment of chromosome 20 originating from BN and containing the TNFalpha gene. Body temperature was recorded continuously by means of radiotelemetry. We showed that, in both strains, an intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin (500 microg/kg of body weight) induces a rapid hyperthermic phase (20-40 minutes post-injection), which is followed, first, by a hypothermic phase (100-120 minutes post-injection) and, then, by a late hyperthermic phase (seven hours). Although both strains demonstrated a similar trend in the response, a significant difference was observed between the two response curves (P = 0.0001). Further analysis at each time point revealed that the two strains differed significantly at a peak of the hypothermic phase (P = 0.035) and the late hyperthermic phase (P = 0.035). In conclusion, these data indicate that the differential chromosomal segment of SHR.1N contains a gene(s) causally related to the body-temperature response to endotoxin. In the light of previously published data, the TNFalpha gene appears to be the most likely candidate gene within the segment.

The cytostatic potency of PMEA was evaluated on five rat and mouse experimental tumors. The compound significantly inhibits three spontaneously arisen (LW13K2, A870N and LLC) tumors. Two chemically induced tumors (FBN, HEP-LEW) were not influenced by PMEA.

Populations of LW13K2 sarcoma derivatives were compared for their malignancy, patterns of cell behaviour in vitro (dynamic morphology and migration) and karyological pattern. The following tumour cell populations were used: the original LW13K2 sarcoma from inbred LEW/CUB rats, RPS sarcoma derived from it by neoplastic progression, four cell populations isolated in vitro from metastases of a syngeneic LEW-CUB strain rat with RPS tumour and four neoplastic cell populations isolated from spontaneous metastases shed by RPS sarcoma in allogeneic rats, differing from LEW/CUB in weak alloantigenic loci. Although RPS tumour did not grow progressively in MHC-different recipients (while the original LW13K2 tumour did), it grew progressively and metastasized in all groups of non-MHC allogeneic recipients. Parallel with the metastatic potential patterns of in vitro behaviour, such as an increased incidence of the quasi-stellate morphotype at slightly acid culture conditions endowed with enhanced changeability of the cell shape and migrational activity, were found. Cytogenetic analysis demonstrated rather stable chromosomal patterns over the cascade of neoplastic progression from LW13K2 sarcoma over RPS sarcoma to freshly isolated metastases. This indicated that the apparent neoplastic progression observed in the cell populations derived from LW13K2 sarcoma is with high probability not due to the selection at the chromosomal level.

LEW rat lymphatic leukemia/lymphoma was antigenically phenotyped by means of W3/13, OX7, P4/16 and F 17-23-2 MoAbs. T-cell lineage related markers were proven to be expressed by leukemia cells. AAS prepared in congenic rat strains have shown the following pattern: alpha RT1 (MHC) AAS directed against RT1 antigenic specificities both "public" and "private" gave positive reactions with 100% of leukemia cells, all cross-reacting AAS directed against "public" specificities only, reacted positively too with 17-100% of leukemia cells and no alien specificities have been detected when LEW antisera were tested. The expression of RT5 differentiation antigen was proved on leukemia cells by means of alpha RT5 congenic AAS. T-cell differentiation antigen RT6 was also detected by means of alpha RT6 AAS with closely similar specificity as MoAb P4/16 which also positively reacted with KPH-Lw-I cells. Leukemia T-cell origin is also supported by the absence of class II antigens (F 17-23-2 MoAb) and SIg receptors. A presence of leukemia/lymphoma associated antigen was indicated by AAS absorption analysis.

Effects of three different fibrosarcomas on the hepatic mixed-function oxidase system were studied in males of the Lewis inbred strain of rats. No association between graded potentiality of these tumors to grow across histocompatibility barriers and their suppressive effects upon the microsomal drug-metabolizing system was found.

The composition of gangliosides was studied in four fibrosarcomas (FL, FLA, FLB, FLC) induced in the Lewis rat by Ferridextran, and in two clones of a spontaneous Lewis rat mammary sarcoma (C-1-SAM LEW and C-2-SAM LEW) and two supertransformed clones (S-174 and S-271) derived from these clones, using the B77 virus. The malignancy of the Lewis tumors was tested in terms of their ability to outgrow the RT-5 barrier in LEW.1x rats and expressed as the loss-rate of LEW.1x rats. As for the Ferridextran-induced tumors, the FL was the only one to have been rejected in nearly 100% of the LEW.1x recipients. Following presensitization with FL the other tumors were also rejected, though not at a rate of 100%. The rat loss-rate was: FL--0%, FLC--23.5%, FLB--36.5%, and FLA--82.6%. As malignancy increased, the composition of gangliosides showed signs of progressive simplification indicating a step-by-step repression of ganglioside biosynthesis involving first the disialoganglioside and subsequently also the monosialoganglioside pathways. Some less distinct decrease (but significant at the 5% level of probability) of gangliosides of the disialoganglioside pathway and an increase of the simplest ganglioside (GM3) were observed between the C-1 clone of SAM LEW and its S-174 supertransformant. However, the changes, especially in the C-2 clone and its supertransformant, were not such as would suggest a marked defect in the biosynthesis of gangliosides.