Inbred Strains
of Mice: NZW
Inbr: F 70. Albino. Genet:
b, c, p. Origin: see NZB.
Characteristics
High within-strain aggression. Litter mate males housed together often
fight severely by 6-8 weeks (original observation). High balsa-wood gnawing
activity (15/16) (Fawdington and Festing 1980). Long life-span in both
sexes (17/17 = 802 days in males, 16/17 = 733 days in females) in SPF
fostered conditions. Lung tumours 2-24%, lymphatic leukaemia 3-29% and
heart defects 2-24% (
Festing and Blackmore,
1971). Short sleeping time under hexobarbital anaesthetic (3/15 in
males, 1/15 in females) (Lovell, 1976), short sleeping time under pentobarbitone
anaesthetic (3/23), Lovell (
1986). Phenobarbital
i.p. induces hepatic epoxide hydrase (cf. 4/7) (
Oesch
et al., 1973., 1973). High incidence of exencephaly reported by Vogelwide
et al (1993). High retinal ganglion cell number (20/24) (
Williams et al, 1996).
Serum antinuclear factor found in 12% of animals (6/17) (Barnes and Tuffrey, 1967). The TCR beta-chain locus of
NZW mice carries an 8.8-kb deletion which encompasses the C beta 1, D
beta 2, and all six J beta 2 gene segments Studies suggest that D beta
2 and J beta 2 gene segments are required to maintain a diverse T cell
repertoire and that their deletion from the genome may confer a significant
selective disadvantage in the wild.(Woodland
et al 1990). Resistant to immunosuppression of contact hypersensitivity
by ultraviolet B light (cf 4/18) (Noonan and
Hoffman, 1994). Deficient in eosinophil peroxidase, one of the enzymes
in the eosinophil-specific granules, resembling the similar condition
in humans (Ohmori et al, 1996).
Intermediate breeding performance (13/25), colony output 1.00 young/female/
week, litter size at weaning low (23/25) at 4.1 (Festing 1976a). Poor
breeding performance (19/24) (Hansen et al.,
1973., 1973).
Strain widely used as the NZB x NZW F1 hybrid (also known as the B x W
hybrid), giving a model of systemic lupus erythematosus (see also NZB).
Syndrome includes typical lupus erythematosus cells, antinuclear antibody,
haemolytic anaemia, proteinuria with casts and terminal nephrosis with
renal failure before 8 months (see Milich
and Gershwin 1981). Incidence and severity of the disease is greater
in females than males (Dubois et al., 1966.,
1966).
NZW x BXSB F1 male mice develop systemic autoimmunity involving autoantibodies,
thrombocytopenia, lupus nephritis and coronary vascular disease with myocardial
infarction. These effects can be modulated by diet, and may be mediated
by anti-cardiolipin autoantibodies (Mizutani
et al, 1994), and can be treated effectively by ACE inhibitors such
as imidapril and captopril (Ogiku et al, 1994).
Barnes
R. D. and Tuffrey M. (1967) Serum antinuclear factor and the influence
of environment in mice. Nature 214, 1136-1138.
Dubois
E. L., Horowitz R. E., Demopaulos H. B., and Teplitz R. (1966) NZB/NZW
mice as a model of systemic lupus erythematosus. J. Am. Med. Assoc.
195, 285-289.
Festing
M. F. W. and Blackmore D. K. (1971) Life span of specified-pathogen-free
(MRC category 4) mice and rats. Lab. Anim. 5, 179-192.
Hansen
C. T., Judge F. J., and Whitney R. A. (1973) Catalog of NIH rodents.
National Institutes of Health. DHEW publication (NIH) 74-606, Bethesda.
Lovell D.P. (1986)
Variation in pentobarbitone sleeping time in mice. I. strain and sex differences.
Lab. Anim. 20, 85-90.
Milich
D. R. and Gershwin M. E. (1981) The pathogenesis of autoimmunity in New
Zealand mice, in Immunologic defects in laboratory animals (Gershwin
M. E. and Merchant B., eds), pp. 77-142. Plenum Press, New York, London.
Mizutani
H., Engelman R. W., Kinjoh K., Kurata Y., Ikehara S., Matsuzawa Y., and
Good R. A. (1994) Calorie restriction prevents the occlusive coronary
vascular disease of autoimmune (NZW x BXSB)F1 mice. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
91, 4402-4406.
Noonan
F. P. and Hoffman H. A. (1994) Susceptibility to immunosuppression by
ultraviolet B radiation in the mouse. Immunogenet. 39,
29-39.
Oesch F.,
Morris N., and Daly J. W. (1973) Genetic expression of the induction of
epoxide hydrase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activities in the mouse
by phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene. Molec. Pharmacol. 9,
692-696.
Ogiku N.,
Sumikawa H., Nishimura T., Narita H., and Ishida R. (1994) Reduction of
the mortality rate by imidapril in a small coronary artery disease model,
(NZW x BXSB)F1 male mice. Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 64, 129-133.
Ohmori
J., Tokunaga H., Ezaki T., Maruyama H., and Nawa Y. (1996) Eosinophil
peroxidase deficiency in New Zealand White mice. International Archives
of Allergy and Immunology 111, 30-35.
Williams
R. W., Strom R. C., Rice D. S., and Goldowitz D. (1996) Genetic and environmental-control
of variation in retinal ganglion-cell number in mice. Journal of Neuroscience
16, 7193-7205.
Woodland
D. L., Kotzin B. L., and Palmer E. (1990) Functional consequences of a
T cell receptor D beta 2 and J beta 2 gene segment deletion. J. Immunol.
144, 379-385.
INBRED STRAINS OF MICE
Updated 9 Apr. 1998
Michael FW
Festing
MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building,
University of Leicester,
UK
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