Development of the obese-hyperglycemic syndrome in mice with a growth hormone deficiency.

By mating mice heterozygous for the recessive gene, obese (ob/+) (+/+), with mice homozygous for the recessive gene, dwarf (+/+)(dw/dw), and subsequent mating of the offspring, mice homozygous for both the obese and dwarf gene were obtained. It was established that the genes for obese and dwarf mice belong to different linkage groups. The homozygous obese dwarf mice develop obesity and hyperinsulinemia. The degree of hyperglycemia developed by these homozygotes is not significantly different from that of nonobese dwarf mice. Because homozygous dwarf mice are deficient in growth hormone production, it was concluded that obesity and hyperinsulinemia can develop under conditions of extreme growth hormone deficiency.