Over the years, obesity has become a worldwide epidemic and is tightly associated with type 2 diabetes. It is a multifactorial disorder, and genetic variations exist in the susceptibility to diet-induced obesity in humans and mice indicating the complexity of the disorder and that modifications of multiple genes are necessary for its aetiology. Devalraja-Narasimha and Padanilam report the results of their study aimed at determining the effect of Parp1 gene deficiency on diet-induced obesity and energy metabolism in Parp knock out (KO) and wild type (WT) mice of the same genetic background (129/SvImJ). They found that the ParpKo mice were highly susceptible to diet-induced obesity, accumulation of fat tissue and that they develop hyperleptinaemia and insulin resistance and glucose intolerance compared with their WT counterparts. Their findings define PARP1 expression and activation as a critical determination of energy metabolism in 129 mice in the setting of high-fat feeding. Devalaraja-Narashimha, K & Padanilam, PJ. (2010). Journal of Endocrinology, 205, 243-252.

DOI:10.1677/JOE-09-0402