Advisory Committee Chair
Liou Sun
Advisory Committee Members
Jeffery Morris
Thane Wibbels
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2022
Degree Name by School
Master of Science (MS) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
According to our previous study, mice with a CRISPR/Cas9 mediated deletion of the GHRH gene have decreased bodyweight, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), energy expenditure compared to wild type animals, and increased insulin sensitivity and enhanced longevity. Calorie restriction enhances lifespan and delays multiple aging related phenotypes; however it is not known how these animals respond to nutritional stressors such as high fat diet (HFD) during the aging process. We subjected 18 month old GHRH-/- male and female mice to a high fat diet to determine differences in response to HFD in aged animals. After HFD exposure, GHRH-/- mice have increased bodyweight, but show no decrease in RER, or insulin sensitivity compared to controls. GHRH-/- mice maintained enhanced longevity and insulin sensitivity during HFD exposure compared to wild types. Our findings demonstrate that aged GHRH-/- mice have are more metabolically tolerant of high fat diet during aging and show key differences in lifespan and healthspan compared to wild type counterparts.
Recommended Citation
Jablonsky, Joseph, "Mice with GHRH Deficiency are Resistant to the Detrimental Health Effects of High Fat Diet" (2022). All ETDs from UAB. 303.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/303