1930年Wistar研究所的King在野外捕获的野生大鼠，并由king和Aptekman维持繁育，其中一个大鼠品系发生棕色突变。1958年由Silver和Billingham用D.H.King和P.Aptekman培育的棕色突变型动物近交繁殖而来。

BN鼠近交系，毛色为棕色，毛色基因为a、b、h。该品系繁殖力低，雄鼠平均寿命29个月，雌鼠为31个月。

平均31月龄大鼠心内膜疾病的发病率为7%,先天性高血压为30%,对戊巴比妥钠中度敏感,其LD50为90mg/kg。

(1) 生理学研究

(2) 免疫学研究和免疫抑制药物功效测试。

(3) 器官移植

(4) 肿瘤移植。

(5) 呼吸系统炎症、哮喘或过敏。

(6) 男性老年性生殖功能下降模型。

(7) 肿瘤诱导模型。

(8) 视网膜退行性病变。

(9) 老年研究。

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