JAX® VCD-Induced Menopause
The only truly representative rodent model of human menopause.
Background
The only inducible rodent models previously available for modeling human menopause were ovariectomized (OVX) rats and mice— not very representative models given that almost 90% of menopausal women still have their ovaries. Our service, based on a method developed by Drs. Loretta Mayer and Patricia Hoyer, uses the industrial chemical 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) to selectively accelerate the natural loss of small primordial and primary follicles without affecting other tissues, including the rest of the ovary, resulting in an endocrine state that more closely mimics the human menopausal transition (Figure 1).
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| Figure 1. Cyclicity, estrogen levels, and FSH levels are similar in VCD-induced mouse and human menopause. The OVX mouse begins menopause quickly and skips peri-menopause typically 1 to 10 years before human menstrual cycle cease (post-menopause refers to the year after peri-menopause). VCD-induced models cycle from peri-menopause through post-menopause, as seen in humans. Values for VCD-induced menopause are relative to the beginning of the 15-day VCD injection protocol. |
Key benefits
- VCD-induced menopause in mice closely mimics menopausal in 90% of women (see below)
- Cycle includes perimenopause through post-menopause — unlike OVX models, which exhibit only post-menopausal phenotypes (Figures 1 and 2)
- May help reveal the genetic and physiological dynamics that influence women's susceptibility to age-related, chronic, and cumulative diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and stroke
- Eliminates the need to handle VCD in your own facility
Capabilities
- Offered on at least five genetic backgrounds
- C57BL/6J (000664), an atherosclerosis-susceptible strain
- C3H/HeJ (000659), an atherosclerosis-resistant strain
- B6.129S7-Ldlrtm1Her/J (002207), a strain with normally high serum cholesterol levels, which rise further with an atherogenic diet
- B6129P2-Apoetm1Unc/J (002052), another strain with high serum cholesterol levels
- NZBWF1/J (100008), a model of systemic lupus erythematosus
- Can be used with models of atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, and other diseases common among menopausal women
VCD-induced menopause can be adapted to other strains, for an additional cost.
