In Vivo Model Development for Metabolic Syndrome

Protheragen offers a comprehensive in vivo metabolic syndrome animal model development service, supporting preclinical research and therapeutic evaluation for metabolic syndrome and related disorders. Our platform integrates a wide range of well-established and custom-developed animal models to accurately recapitulate the pathophysiological features of human metabolic syndrome, enabling robust efficacy and mechanistic studies for your drug discovery and development programs.

Metabolic syndrome is a complex cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, and fatty liver, which significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Animal models are indispensable tools for unraveling disease mechanisms, validating therapeutic targets, and assessing the efficacy of candidate interventions. At Protheragen, we utilize a diverse array of species and strains—including golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), mice (e.g., C57BL/6, B6.V-Lep ob/ob, Kunming), rats (e.g., SHR, Sprague Dawley, Wistar, Wistar Kyoto), and pigs (Sus scrofa)—to model the multifactorial nature of metabolic syndrome. These models are selected for their translational relevance, genetic backgrounds, and ability to mimic key aspects of human disease, ensuring meaningful and predictive preclinical outcomes.

Chemically-Induced Models

Chemically-induced models employ agents such as D-Fructose, glyoxylic acid, or streptozocin to induce metabolic syndrome phenotypes in rodents. The methodology involves administering these compounds via diet, drinking water, or injection to trigger metabolic disturbances, such as insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Key advantages include rapid induction of disease features, reproducibility, and the ability to dissect specific metabolic pathways. These models are primarily used to investigate mechanisms of metabolic dysfunction and to evaluate the efficacy of anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and cardio-protective drugs.

Diet-Induced Models

Diet-induced models utilize specialized diets—such as high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, high-calorie, high-fructose, or Western-style diets—to provoke metabolic syndrome characteristics in animals. Protocols involve feeding animals these diets over defined periods, leading to obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, fatty liver, and hypertension, closely mirroring human dietary risk factors. The main advantages are their physiological relevance to human lifestyle-induced disease and flexibility in modeling various aspects of metabolic syndrome. These models are widely applied for evaluating lifestyle interventions, nutraceuticals, and pharmacological agents targeting obesity, lipid metabolism, and glucose homeostasis.

Genetic and Transgenic Models

Genetic and transgenic models include animals with spontaneous or engineered mutations, such as ob/ob (leptin-deficient), Apoe knockout, Ldlr knockout, Ahr knockout, Cd38 knockout, and transgenic APOE or CETP mice. These models are generated through selective breeding or gene editing techniques and often combined with dietary challenges to exacerbate metabolic phenotypes. Their main advantages are the ability to study gene-specific contributions to metabolic syndrome, stable inheritance of disease traits, and suitability for long-term studies. They are invaluable for dissecting genetic mechanisms, validating gene-targeted therapies, and modeling patient subpopulations with defined genetic backgrounds.

Protheragen delivers a full-spectrum solution for metabolic syndrome model development and therapeutic evaluation. Our services encompass model selection and customization, animal procurement, induction protocols (chemical, dietary, genetic), comprehensive phenotyping, and efficacy assessment. Key endpoints include body weight and composition, fasting glucose and insulin, glucose and insulin tolerance tests, lipid profiles (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL/LDL), blood pressure, liver function, inflammatory markers, histopathology (liver, adipose tissue), and cardiovascular parameters. We offer advanced analytical capabilities such as ELISA, qPCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and metabolic cage studies. Rigorous quality control measures—including standardized protocols, regular health monitoring, and data validation—ensure reliability and reproducibility of results.

Partnering with Protheragen provides you with access to a scientifically robust and flexible metabolic syndrome modeling platform, tailored to meet the evolving needs of your research pipeline. Our experienced team ensures seamless project execution, transparent communication, and high-quality data to accelerate your preclinical development. Contact us today to discuss your project requirements and discover how our in vivo metabolic syndrome model services can empower your therapeutic innovation.