Obese Rodents Produce More Diseases

Obesity may be tougher on male immune systems than females. Male mice may have the tendency to produce higher levels of white blood cells that encourage inflammation, which contributes to the negative health consequences of obesity. Male mice are most often studied because their risk for developing these diseases.

Obesity does not trigger inflammation in female mice the way it did in males. While it has long been known that male and female immune systems are different. Young reproductive-age female mice that became obese, produce only a mild inflammatory white blood cell response. In male mice, however, obesity made more active inflammatory white blood cells and enhanced their progenitors. This in turn made the male mice more prone to higher blood glucose and insulin levels, measures of diabetes. G

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