Figure 4.

HFD‐fed G609G mice embody characteristics of human phenotype. (a) Pictures were taken of G609G mice on RC near death (100 days), and on HFD at 150 and 200 days of age. Note the progressive development of progeroid features, especially allopecia. (b) X‐ray microCT was conducted on tibiae of WT mice, G609G mice fed RC (100 days of age), and G609G mice fed HFD (200 days of age). Cortical analyses were performed to quantify total area (TA), total bone area (BA), cortical thickness (Ct.Th, TRI method), bone mineral density (BMD), and tissue mineral density (TMD). Pictures are representative of tibiae samples analyzed. (c) Pictures of intestines taken at necropsy of G609G mice on HFD ~200 days old, and histological analysis performed by H&E staining. Note the alterations in intestine morphology, and the loss of muscularis by histology. (d) Histology of skin with H&E staining shows examples of exacerbation of alterations in hair shafts of HFD‐fed G609G mice (~200 days of age) compared to RC‐fed mice (~100 days of age), consistent with robust alopecia. Pictures were taken at two different magnifications (5× and 10×). (e) Picture of heart and aorta taken from a HFD‐fed G609G mouse (~200 days of age) at necropsy. (f) Histology of aortas with H&E staining shows examples of acellular and mineralized aortas in G609G mice on HFD (~200 days of age), compared to RC‐fed WT and G609G mice (~100 days of age). Pictures taken at 40× magnification. (g) Picture shows an example of a pregnant HFD‐fed female G609G mouse (third pregnancy). None of the RC‐fed G609G females became pregnant in our study