The Diet-Induced Obese (DIO) Rat is a robust outbred model for preclinical obesity and metabolic disease research. Rats develop obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia on high‑fat regimens, supporting pharmacology and mechanism studies. Taconic’s DIO Rat cohorts leverage Research Diets, Inc. high-fat formulas widely adopted in DIO studies, supporting consistent phenotype expression and translational relevance.
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- Description
- Diet
- Data
- Pricing
- Overview
- Genetics
- Customization & How to Request
- Guides & Publications
- Transit, Housing & Welfare
- Applications & Therapeutic Areas
Overview
Nomenclature: NTac:SD (Sprague Dawley®)
Model format: All cohorts are produced by request, with diet and schedule tailored to your study.
Diet options: Research Diets DIO series (eg., D12492 60% kcal fat; D12451 45% kcal fat) or other purified formulas; matched low-fat purified controls recommended to avoid chow confounds.
Induction plan (example): Start diet at ~6-7 weeks; housing density tuned for consistent weight gain; conditioning length set per protocol. Optional weekly body weight tracking and shipment summary provided. (General best practices for Taconic's DIO B6 guidance apply)
Availability
This model is typically placed on diet upon request at 6 weeks of age and requires a minimum lead time of 4-6 weeks to initiate following order placement.
Genetics
Customization and How to Request
What you can configure:
- Diet formula: D12492 (60% fat), D12451 (45% fat), or custom purified diets as specified. Matched control diet selection (e.g., D12450H/J) is also available; controls will be fed NIH31M by default.
- Start age/time on diet: choosing starting age and total conditioning duration based on desired severity and study timeline.
- Measurements: add weekly body weights, optional fasting glucose, and shipment phenotype summary.
- Cohort size & regional sourcing: we'll align facility sourcing to minimize transit time and preserve phenotype.
How to request:
- Build Your Cohort and specify diet, start age, length, measurements, and target ship date.
- Our team reviews feasibility and provides a timeline & quote.
- Upon acceptance, we condition the cohort and share progress reports (if measurements selected).
Guides & Publications
- Product Data: DIO Series Diet
Transit, Housing & Welfare
- Transit: Phenotypes can shift with extended transit; we source regionally where possible.
- Housing: Reduced density; consistent environment; follow best practices for husbandry.
Applications & Therapeutic Areas
- Cardiometabolic disease
- Metabolic disease
- Obesity
- High-Fat Diet
DIO rats can be fed a high-fat diet of your choosing, such as D12451 or D12492 high-fat diet from Research Diets, Inc. (formulas provided below). Control rats are fed the NIH #31M Rodent Diet by default, but a purified diet can also be selected. Talk to a Taconic scientist today to find the appropriate diet for your study.
High-Fat Diet Formulas
| Product # | D12451 | D12492 | ||
| gm% | kcal% | gm% | kcal% | |
| Protein | 24 | 20 | 26 | 20 |
| Carbohydrate | 41 | 35 | 26 | 20 |
| Fat | 24 | 45 | 35 | 60 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | ||
| kcal/gm | 4.73 | 5.24 | ||
| Ingredient | gm | kcal | gm | kcal |
| Casein, 30 Mesh | 200 | 800 | 200 | 800 |
| L-Cystine | 3 | 12 | 3 | 12 |
| Corn Starch | 72.8 | 291 | 0 | 0 |
| Maltodextrin 10 | 100 | 400 | 125 | 500 |
| Sucrose | 172.8 | 691 | 68.8 | 275 |
| Cellulose, BW200 | 50 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
| Soybean Oil | 25 | 225 | 25 | 225 |
| Lard | 177.5 | 1598 | 245 | 2205 |
| Mineral Mix S10026 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| DiCalcium Phosphate | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Calcium Carbonate | 5.5 | 0 | 5.5 | 0 |
| Potassium Citrate, 1 H20 | 16.5 | 0 | 16.5 | 0 |
| Vitamin Mix V10001 | 10 | 40 | 10 | 40 |
| Choline Bitrate | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FD&C Red Dye #40 | 0.05 | 0 | ||
| FC&C Blue Dye #1 | 0.05 | 0 | ||
| Total | 858.15 | 4057 | 773.85 | 4057 |
Body Weight Gain Data in SD Rats on a High-Fat Diet
Figure 1. Growth curve for NTac:SD rats diet conditioned on control chow, 45% fat diet (D12451), or 60% fat diet (D12492). Rats were conditioned starting at 6 weeks of age. Rats on 45% fat and 60% fat diets gained significantly more weight than rats fed control chow by 2-way ANOVA with Dunnett's multiple comparisons test.
Figure 2. Fat mass of Ntac:SD rats fed control chow or 60% fat diet for 18 weeks.
Figure 3. Percent body fat of Ntac:SD rats fed 45% or 60% fat diets for 21 weeks.
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Licensing
Terms of Sale and Use for DIO Rat
These models are sold subject to Taconic's Terms and Conditions for Taconic's Models, Products and Services
Pricing
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