Tamoxifen Improves Glucose Tolerance in a Delivery-, Sex-, and Strain-Dependent Manner in Mice

• Published in: Endocrinology (Philadelphia) Vol. 160; no. 4; pp. 782 - 790
• Main Authors: Ceasrine, Alexis M, Ruiz-Otero, Nelmari, Lin, Eugene E, Lumelsky, David N, Boehm, Erica D, Kuruvilla, Rejji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 01-04-2019; Endocrine Society
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animal models; Animals; Body composition; Body Composition - drug effects; Brief Report; Dosage and administration; Drug therapy; Endocrinology; Estrogens; Female; Gene expression; Gene manipulation; Glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose intolerance; Glucose Intolerance - drug therapy; Glucose Intolerance - metabolism; Glucose tolerance; Inbreeding; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Insulin; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Male; Mice; Rodents; Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators - administration & dosage; Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators - therapeutic use; Sex; Sex Factors; Species Specificity; Tamoxifen; Tamoxifen - administration & dosage; Tamoxifen - therapeutic use; Testing; United States
• ISSN: 1945-7170; 0013-7227; 1945-7170
• DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00985

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, is widely used in mouse models to temporally control gene expression but is also known to affect body composition. We report that tamoxifen has significant and sustained effects on glucose tolerance, independent of effects on insulin sensitivity, in mice. IP, but not oral, tamoxifen delivery improved glucose tolerance in three inbred mouse strains. The extent and persistence of tamoxifen-induced effects were sex and strain dependent. These findings highlight the need to revise commonly used tamoxifen-based protocols for gene manipulation in mice by including longer chase periods after injection, oral delivery, and the use of tamoxifen-treated littermate controls.