Ob Mice: A Case Study

Summary: Obesity is a growing problem, especially in western society, and as a result, there are more tools being added to the market to “solve” this problem. From liposuctions, to multiple weight-loss programs, a new product is emerging using the science of bacteria in the gut. By observing rodent models, it can be concluded that microbiota influences the phenotype of an organism. Microbiota from fecal samples are transferred from two sets of human twins (one twin lean, one twin obese) into the germ-free intestines of mice.
When mice are fed the same low-fat, high-fiber diet, the microbiota from the lean human resulted in a lean mouse while the microbiota from the obese human resulted in an obese mouse. However, when the mice are fed a high-fat, low-fiber diet, the diet counteracts the microbiota, resulting in an ineffective microbiota transplant. Therefore, the mice with the obese microbiota (Ob) and the mice with the lean microbiota (Ln) both became obese. In addition, the co-housing of mice harboring both types of microbiota lead to the prevention of increased adiposity in the Ob mice …show more content…
Discordant: opposite; contrary (discordant twins: one lean, one obese)
2. Inoculation: being exposed to a pathogen (i.e. vaccine)
3. Synergistic: two items acting together to be more effective rather than one item working alone.
(i.e. one drug increasing the other drugs effectiveness)