mortality/aging
• at birth, the % of surviving pups obtained from heterozygous intercrosses may not display a Mendelian distribution, depending on environmental factors
|
endocrine/exocrine glands
• adult homozygotes show a general disorganization of the thyroid follicles and flattening of the epithelium, as shown by uneven follicle sizes and reduced interstitial spaces
• however, no goiter is detected up to >18 months of age
|
• in response to TSH injections, homozygotes display reduced increases of free T3 and T4 serum levels relative to wild-type mice
• notably, homozygotes exhibit a mixed hyper- and hypothyroid phenotype, dependent on the tissue studied
|
• homozygotes show signs of hypothyroidism, including significantly reduced levels of free T3 T4, poor responses to TSH, increased fat content, and skeletal defects associated with a late-onset growth retardation
|
• in addition to hypothyroidism, homozygotes display features of hyperthyroidism, including reduced body weight, elevated heart rate, and increased body temperature
|
homeostasis/metabolism
• both male and female homozygotes show significantly reduced free T4 levels in serum relative to wild-type littermates
|
• both male and female homozygotes show significantly reduced free T3 levels in serum relative to wild-type littermates
• total T3 levels are significantly reduced only in female homozygotes
|
• homozygotes display significantly reduced serum levels of IGF-I relative to wild-type mice
|
• homozygotes display an increased body temperature (36.9 0.1 C) relative to wild-type mice (36.5 0.1 C)
|
• at 6-20 weeks, both male and female homozygotes display inappropriately normal serum levels of TSH, suggesting an alteration in the pituitary-thyroid axis
|
growth/size/body
• both female and male homozygotes show a slightly reduced body weight from birth to adulthood relative to wild-type mice
|
• both female and male homozygotes show a slightly delayed growth spurt during the first 9 weeks of life relative to wild-type mice
|
skeleton
• homozygotes display a 57% reduction in osteoclast activity relative to wild-type mice
• in contrast, serum levels of osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, remain unaffected
|
• homozygotes show a significant reduction in areal bone mineral (BM) content of the femur and L6 vertebrae relative to wild-type mice
|
• homozygotes show a significant reduction in areal bone mineral (BM) density of the femur and L6 vertebrae relative to wild-type mice
• however, no delay in the mineralization of the epiphysis is observed
|
• homozygotes exhibit decreased tibial cortical bone mineral content relative to wild-type mice
• however, no significant reduction in longitudinal bone growth is observed, such that tibias and femurs are of normal length
|
• homozygotes exhibit decreased tibial cortical bone periosteal and endosteal circumferences, and cortical area relative to wild-type mice
|
• homozygotes display decreased trabecular bone mineral density (BMD), as shown by a 24% reduction in proximal tibia
|
adipose tissue
• homozygotes exhibit a significant increase in fat content (121%) relative to wild-type mice
• however, serum levels of corticosterone and leptin are not significantly altered
|
reproductive system
• female homozygotes display a slightly prolonged estrous cycle, suggesting aberrant ovulation
|
• female homozygotes generally fail to conceive
• female homozygotes display partial fertility but only under optimized animal care conditions
• homozygous intercrosses rarely generate litters
• Background Sensitivity: breeding abnormalities are exacerbated after the mutation is backcrossed for two generations onto the C57BL/6J background
|
behavior/neurological
• if pups are born, female homozygotes fail to rear their offspring
|
cardiovascular system
• homozygotes display a 10% increase in basal heart rate relative to wild-type littemates, despite their lower serum T3 levels
|
immune system
• homozygotes display a 57% reduction in osteoclast activity relative to wild-type mice
• in contrast, serum levels of osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, remain unaffected
|
hematopoietic system
• homozygotes display a 57% reduction in osteoclast activity relative to wild-type mice
• in contrast, serum levels of osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, remain unaffected
|