| abstract |
The present invention provides a desired rat or a rat cell which contains a predefined, specific and desired alteration rendering the rat or rat cell predisposed to alterations in drug and chemical metabolism by modification of its structure or mechanism. Specifically, the invention pertains to a genetically altered rat, or a rat cell in culture, that is defective in at least one of two alleles of a drug metabolism gene such as the Cyp7b1 gene, the Cyp3a4 gene, etc. In another embodiment, the rat cell is a somatic cell. The inactivation of at least one drug metabolism allele results in an animal with a higher susceptibility to altered drug and chemical metabolism. In one embodiment, the genetically altered animal is a rat of this type and is able to serve as a useful model for altered drug and chemical metabolism or toxicology and as a test animal for autoimmune and other studies. The invention additionally pertains to the use of such rats or rat cells, and their progeny in research and medicine. In one embodiment, the invention provides a genetically modified or chimeric rat cell whose genome comprises two chromosomal alleles of a drug metabolism gene wherein at least one of the two alleles contains a mutation, or the progeny of the cell. |