Obesity Differences in Male and Female Mice
Author Information
Author(s): Hong Jin, Renee E Stubbins, Rebekah R Smith, Alison E Harvey, Nomelí P Núñez
Primary Institution: University of Texas at Austin
Hypothesis
How do sex and ovarian hormones affect susceptibility to obesity in mice?
Conclusion
Male mice are more likely to become obese than female mice, and ovariectomy removes the protective effect in females.
Supporting Evidence
- Male mice had a greater propensity to gain weight than female mice.
- Ovariectomy eliminated the protective effect against weight gain in female mice.
- Body fat levels in ovariectomized female mice were similar to those of male mice.
Takeaway
Male mice get fatter than female mice, but if you take away the female hormones, they get just as fat as the boys.
Methodology
Mice were divided into groups and fed different diets for 20 weeks to compare weight gain.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding factors from not including weight-matched controls.
Limitations
Weight-matched male mice were not included, which could have affected the results.
Participant Demographics
C57BL/6 male, female, and ovariectomized female mice.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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