A review of fundamental principles for animal models of DOHaD research: an Australian perspective

H Dickinson; T J Moss; K L Gatford; K M Moritz; L Akison; T Fullston; D H Hryciw; C A Maloney; M J Morris; A L Wooldridge; J E Schjenken; S A Robertson; B J Waddell; P J Mark; C S Wyrwoll; S J Ellery; K L Thornburg; B S Muhlhausler; J L Morrison

doi:10.1017/S2040174416000477

A review of fundamental principles for animal models of DOHaD research: an Australian perspective

J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2016 Oct;7(5):449-472. doi: 10.1017/S2040174416000477.

Authors

H Dickinson¹, T J Moss¹, K L Gatford², K M Moritz³, L Akison³, T Fullston², D H Hryciw⁴, C A Maloney⁵, M J Morris⁵, A L Wooldridge², J E Schjenken², S A Robertson², B J Waddell⁶, P J Mark⁶, C S Wyrwoll⁶, S J Ellery¹, K L Thornburg⁷, B S Muhlhausler⁸, J L Morrison⁹

Affiliations

¹ 1The Ritchie Centre,Hudson Institute of Medical Research,Monash University,Clayton, VIC,Australia.
² 2School of Medicine and Robinson Research Institute,University of Adelaide,Adelaide, SA,Australia.
³ 3School of Biomedical Sciences,The University of Queensland,St Lucia, QLD,Australia.
⁴ 4Department of Physiology,University of Melbourne,Parkville, VIC,Australia.
⁵ 5School of Medical Sciences,UNSW Australia,Sydney, NSW,Australia.
⁶ 6Faculty of Science,The University of Western Australia,Crawley, WA,Australia.
⁷ 7Heart Research Center,Oregon Health & Science University,Portland,OR,USA.
⁸ 8School of Agriculture, Food and Wine,FOODplus Research Centre,The University of Adelaide,Adelaide, SA,Australia.
⁹ 9School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences,Sansom Institute for Health Research,University of South Australia,Adelaide, SA,Australia.

PMID: 27689313
DOI: 10.1017/S2040174416000477

Abstract

Epidemiology formed the basis of 'the Barker hypothesis', the concept of 'developmental programming' and today's discipline of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Animal experimentation provided proof of the underlying concepts, and continues to generate knowledge of underlying mechanisms. Interventions in humans, based on DOHaD principles, will be informed by experiments in animals. As knowledge in this discipline has accumulated, from studies of humans and other animals, the complexity of interactions between genome, environment and epigenetics, has been revealed. The vast nature of programming stimuli and breadth of effects is becoming known. As a result of our accumulating knowledge we now appreciate the impact of many variables that contribute to programmed outcomes. To guide further animal research in this field, the Australia and New Zealand DOHaD society (ANZ DOHaD) Animals Models of DOHaD Research Working Group convened at the 2nd Annual ANZ DOHaD Congress in Melbourne, Australia in April 2015. This review summarizes the contributions of animal research to the understanding of DOHaD, and makes recommendations for the design and conduct of animal experiments to maximize relevance, reproducibility and translation of knowledge into improving health and well-being.

Keywords: developmental origins of health and disease; developmental stage; outcome/system; programming.