Abstract

The authors have explored the suitability of the Mongolian gerbil as a model in aging research and reviewed data on major factors in gerbil morbidity and mortality. The gerbil is a semi-desert rodent, introduced relatively recently into biomedical research. It is moderately prolific, has a maximum survival of about 208 weeks and is easily maintained. Maternal neglect, fighting and epidemic diseases (Tyzzer's disease, salmonellosis, pneumonia) are potential causes of mortality in gerbil colonies. Obese or breeding gerbils may exhibit hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes, non-lipoid arteriosclerosis and secondary lesions in several organs. There is a high prevalence of spontaneous neoplasms in aged gerbils, especially tumors of the adrenal cortex, ovary and skin. The gerbil is a useful model of experimentally-induced stroke, but has proven unsuitable for studies of cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis. The normal and pathological anatomy of periodontal disease in the gerbil is similar in many respects to that of man.