Origin:
Heston in 1946 from buffalo stock of H. Morris. To NIH in 1951 at F10. To CRL in 1998.
Applications:
Spontaneous tumors of anterior pituitary 30%, and of adrenal cortex 25% in older animals. Low incidence of renal neoplasms. Low incidence of dental caries.

The original Sprague Dawley outbred albino rat is the most widely used outbred rat in laboratory animal research.

Albino. Originated by the Sprague-Dawley Company, Madison, Wisconsin, in 1925 through a series of crosses begun with a single-hooded male and six albino females of unknown origin. Current Harlan colonies are direct descendants of this original colony.

Research Use:
• Aging
• General purpose model
• Nutrition studies
• Oncology
• Teratology
• Toxicology
• Surgical model

Black-hooded. From the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; to Blue Spruce Farms, Altamont, New York, in 1964; to Harlan through acquisition in 1988.



Research Use
• Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis
• Control model for HsdBlu:BRAT-di
• Nutrition studies
• Diet-induced obese model
• General purpose model

Albino. Descended from animals from the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Research Use
• Teratology
• Nutrition studies
• Aging
• Oncology
• General purpose model

Color:
Albino

Features:
The Wistar Kyoto outbred rat (vs. the WKY inbred rat) is widely used as the normotensive control for the SHR. Ten week old males exhibit blood pressures of 125 to 140 mmHg. In addition to its use in hypertension research, this outbred Wistar is used in a wide range of research disciplines. The Wistar Kyoto outbred rat is the male parent on the Lawler BHR hybrid model.

Characteristics
• Litter Average: 5.5
• Haplotype: RT1u
• Distinctive heteropyknotic Y chromosome which can be used as a cell marker
• Susceptible to audiogenic seizures of Grand Mal type epilepsy
• Macrothrombocytopenia

Research Use
• Immunology
• Leukemia
• Transplantation

Origin: Outbred wistar rats in 1976. Some biological details mainly on haematology and blood biochemistry given by Henize et al (1984)

Brown, non-agouti. BN/RijHsd rats were descended from a nucleus colony obtained directly from the TNO Institute, the Netherlands. BN/SsNHsd rats were descended from a nucleus colony obtained from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.



Research Use
• Allergic respiratory disease model
• Oncology
• Aging
• Leukemia
• Kidney research

Brown-hooded. Derived from original colony developed by Dr. Wilhelmina F. Dunning.

Albino. Descended from a nucleus colony obtained from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Research Use
• Carcinogenic studies
• Oncology
• Toxicology
• Aging
• Ophthalmology
• Experimental Allergic
Encephalomyelitis
• Autoimmune research
• General purpose model
• Surgical model

Albino. Descended from a nucleus colony obtained from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Research Use
• Transplantation studies
• Endocrinology
• Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis

Hooded (pigmentation). Descended from animals obtained from the Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Research Use
• This model is utilized in xenograft, allograft, and other immunology-based research

Four color variations. Developed from a colony obtained in 1992 from Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, New Jersey.

Research Use:
• Animal model for genetic obesity
• May be used as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus models

Albino originating at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan in 1975.
The Goto-Kakizaki rat is an excellent model of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), type II diabetes. It exhibits similar metabolic, hormonal and vascular disorders to the human diabetes disease.Unlike many other rodent models of Type II diabetes, the GK rat is non-obese.
Characteristics of the Goto-Kakizaki rat include fasting hyperglycemia, impaired secretion of insulin in response to glucose both in vivo and in isolated pancreatic cells, hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance. Late complications such as retinopathy, microangiopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy have been described in literature

A strain of albino rat used widely for experimental purposes because of its calmness and ease of handling.

Origin: From a cross between black hooded and CFY outbred rats with selection for resistance to chronic respiratory disease. Litter size 8-12 (60% male), but only 4-5 weaned. Agile, but tame (Bertok 1980).