Development of a new diet-induced obesity (DIO) model using Wistar lean rats.

Obesity is an increasingly severe socioeconomic health issue worldwide. Rodents with diet-induced obesity (DIO) are widely used as models of obesity. The main aim of this study was to establish a DIO model using Wistar lean (+/+ or +/-) rats by feeding a high-fat diet (45 kcal% fat) to dams during the latter term of gestation and the lactation period.