• 16 bp deletion within Exon 3 on chromosome 1
• Administration of high fat diets to ApoE KO rats has resulted in significantly reduced lifespan (Inotiv does not recommend administering high fat diets to ApoE KO rats)
• At an early age (5- and 10-week-old), ApoE knockouts demonstrate significantly higher serum cholesterol
• Background strain: Sprague Dawley
• Homozygous knockouts exhibit complete loss of ApoE protein via Western blot

Availability: Live colony
Zygosity genotype: Homozygous as live colony

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a critical apoprotein of the chylomicron which binds to a specific receptor on liver cells and peripheral cells. Defects in ApoE result in disrupted transportation of lipoproteins, fat-soluble vitamins and cholesterol into the lymph systems, and then into blood.

ApoE is essential for the normal metabolism of lipids. It is expressed in the liver, intestines and brain, preventing the accumulation of cholesterol-rich particles in plasma. Widely studied for its role in cardiovascular disease and lipoprotein transport, it has more recently been implicated in Alzheimer's disease and cognition, making this a useful model for the study of atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's and nerve injury.