Mice are the most commonly used species in preclinical research on the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases. Although they are extremely useful for identifying pathways, mechanisms and genes regulating glucose and energy homeostasis, the specificities of the various mouse models and methodologies used to investigate a metabolic phenotype can have a profound impact on experimental results and their interpretation. This review aims to: (1) describe the most commonly used experimental tests to assess glucose and energy homeostasis in mice; (2) provide some guidelines regarding the design, analysis and interpretation of these tests, as well as for studies using genetic models; and (3) identify important caveats and confounding factors that must be taken into account in the interpretation of findings.
Keywords: Clamp; Energy balance; Genetic background; Glucose tolerance; Metabolic phenotyping; Mouse; Review.