Donald Fleenor

My research focuses on the contributions of lactogenic and somatogenic signaling on fetal and perinatal growth. We have developed a novel double mutant mouse model that displays many of the features of the metabolic syndrome. The double mutant mice. which are growth hormone deficient and lactogen resistant, demonstrate growth failure, hypoinsulinemia, insulin hyper-sensitivity, and hypoglycemia at one week of age, but develop obesity, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance by 6-9 months of age.


Prolactin, placental lactogen, growth hormone, STAT5, IGF-I, IGF-II, transcription factors, adipogenesis