RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON AGING

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 26, July 23, 1993



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Aging/Gerontology 

  RESEARCH RESOURCES 

  Animal Breed. & Facil., Scientific 

  Cell Lines 



National Institute on Aging



The National Institute on Aging (NIA), recognizing that most

investigators have neither the facilities nor the fiscal resources

needed to develop and maintain colonies of aged animals, has made

provision of resources one of its highest priorities.  The availability

of high quality material for conducting research on aging continues to

be a priority area for NIA, with current resources spanning a broad

spectrum, including a cell bank, a nematode bank, rodent colonies, and

nonhuman primate colonies.



Calorically-restricted rodents



With this notice, the NIA announces the availability of a new resource,

a colony of calorically-restricted rodents for the conduct of research

on aging.  The NIA has had a colony of calorically-restricted rodents

for several years; however, these animals were available only to

investigators engaged on the Biomarkers Project.  Animals are now

available to investigators outside of the Biomarker Project.  The

colony includes three rat genotypes (F344NNia, BN/BiRijNia, and F344 x

BNF1Nia) and three mouse genotypes (C57BL6NNia, DBA/2NNia and

B6D2F1Nia).  These animals are maintained under conditions similar to

our other colonies except that they are individually caged, and each

calorically-restricted animal has a matching ad libitum-fed control.

Distribution of these animals will be as pairs, i.e.,

caloric-restricted and ad libitum control.



Mice



In addition to this new resource, specific pathogen-free rodent

resources currently available from NIA include three rat and eight

mouse genotypes that are raised in barrier facilities and range in age

from 1 to 42 months.  Mouse genotypes currently available are the

inbred strains BALB/c, CBA/Ca, C57BL/6 and DBA/2; hybrid stocks of

B6C3F1 (C57BL/6 x C3H), B6D2F1 (C57BL/6 x DBA), and CB6F1 (BALB/c x

C57BL/6); and an outbred stock of Swiss Webster.



Inbred and hybrid mice in the NIA colony were derived from NIH

pedigreed breeding stock in 1974 and for many years were maintained as

closed inbred colonies.  As mutations occur in both the NIA colony and

the NIH breeding colonies, the NIA and NIH genotypes would undoubtedly

drift apart.  To minimize this potential drift the NIA initiated in

1983 a policy of rederivation from pedigreed stock every six years.

Because of limited numbers of breeding pairs from NIH, and recognizing

that many investigators use mice from the Jackson Laboratory, the

rederivation of NIA mice that occurred in 1989 used breeding stock from

the Jackson Laboratory rather than from NIH.  Therefore, the mouse

genotypes listed above are currently available from either NIH

progenitor origin or Jackson Laboratory progenitor origin.  The last

animals of NIH origin were entered into the NIA colony in March 1993,

and when the supply of these mice is exhausted, only mice of Jackson

Laboratory origin will be available.



Rats



The rat genotypes currently available are the inbred strains of Fischer

344 (F344NNia) and Brown Norway (BN/BiRijNia) and the hybrid stock F344

x BNF1 (F344NNia x BN/BiRijNia).  The F344 is of NIH origin, and the BN

of REP Institutes TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands origin.



All rodents are regularly monitored for genetic purity and health

status.  Animals are housed at contractor facilities behind specific

pathogen barriers, maintained at 70x F, plus or minus 2 degrees, and

are fed NIH 31 diet (ad libitum).  Cage position on cage racks are

routinely rotated to prevent retinal degeneration from lighting.  Ad

libitum access to acidified, chlorinated drinking water is provided.

A health monitoring report for the room in which animals are raised

accompanies each shipment of animals.  These colonies have been

developed to facilitate research on aging; therefore, holders of NIA

grants always receive priority in access to animals.



Non-human primates



The NIA maintains approximately 300 nonhuman primates (M. mulatta) at

four regional primate centers for conducting research on aging.  These

animals are in an approximate age range of 18 to 35 years.  Animals are

available for both noninvasive and invasive research studies.  Some

animals are maintained in group housing while others are individually

caged.



For information on any of the above resources contact:



Office of Biological Resource Development

National Institute on Aging

Gateway Building, Suite 2C231

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-0181



Cell cultures



The NIA, under contract, operates the Aging Cell Culture Repository.

The purpose of this repository is to acquire, develop and characterize,

store, and supply cell cultures for gerontological research.

Currently, this repository contains over 900 cell cultures available

for research on aging.  Included are over 200 skin fibroblast cultures

from healthy individuals of various ages who are participating in the

Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging at the Gerontology Research

Center; skin fibroblast cultures from individuals with premature aging

syndromes, including Werner, Hutchinson- Guilford (progeria), cultures

from clinically documented and at-risk individuals, as well as entire

families exhibiting familial Alzheimer disease.  Human endothelial cell

cultures as well as mammary epithelial cell cultures are also

available.  Also available are human fibroblasts from female (IMR-90)

and male (IMR-91 and MRC-5) fetal lung tissues and WI-38 female diploid

lung cells available at early, middle, and late population doubling

levels.  Cultures of animal origin include skin fibroblasts from a

variety of species of nonhuman primates; and many differentiated cell

cultures derived from bovine, equine, canine and porcine origin.  For

additional information about the Repository, including catalog

requests, availability and cost of cultures, contact:



Richard Mulivor, Ph.D.

Coriell Institute for Medical Research

401 Haddon Avenue

Camden, NJ  08103

Telephone:  800/752-3805



Nematodes



As a part of an overall NIA strategy to foster quality research through

support of quality model resources, the NIA in collaboration with the

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), supports the

Caenorhabditis Genetics Center to acquire, store and distribute genetic

stocks of Caenorhabditis elegans (a nematode species) and relevant

bibliographic and genetic information.  This Center receives nematode

strains and mutants, reprints of related publications and data (raw and

analyzed) relevant to nematode genetics; stores these materials,

verifies genetic status and/or scientific accuracy; distributes mutant

strain bibliographic and genetic information to individual scientists,

and through publications, to the scientific public at large; and

distributes mutant strains to interested scientists. For further

information on this resource, contact:



Robert K. Herman, Ph.D.

Department of Genetics and Cell Biology

University of Minnesota

St. Paul, MN  55108

Telephone:  (612) 624-6203



Except for the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, which is a multi-

Institute supported resource, recipients of NIA grant support receive

first priority for use of any of these resources when supplies are

limited.  When supplies permit resources are made available to other

than NIA grantees.  To aid graduate students interested in pursuing

research on aging, limited numbers of rodents for dissertation research

can be obtained free of cost (supply permitting) by application.

Limited numbers of rodents are also available at reduced cost for the

conduct of pilot research projects.  The application process is

relatively simple, requiring three to four months for review of

proposed studies.  To obtain information about these programs and/or an

application contact Dr. DeWitt G. Hazzard.  Any questions you may have

regarding any aspect of the NIA resources program may be directed to:



DeWitt G. Hazzard, Ph.D.

Office of Biological Resources and Resource Development

National Institute on Aging

Gateway Building, Suite 2C231

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-0181



.

Return to 1993 Index

Return to NIH Guide Main Index

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)