Organization profile
Organization profile
The Energy Balance Core is a part of the Center of Research on Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease (COCVD). The COCVD is a multidisciplinary collaborative project created to identify mechanisms linking the epidemic of obesity to the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the obese population. The Energy Balance Core provides specialized equipment and expertise that allow investigators to gather data on effects of genetic and environmental interventions on body composition and whole body metabolism in mice.
EchoMRI: The EMR-102 2016 Analyzer uses magnetic resonance relaxometry to measure live body composition as fat tissue, lean tissue, free water and total water. The graphical user interface operating software allows for simplicity and convenience of use. EchoMRI-100 with A10 (2018) performs the above functions and also is equipped for scanning tissue samples of size 300 mg-7 g. Boh units are located in Room B014 of BBSRB.
Indirect Calorimetry: The Sable Promethion system offers high resolution indirect calorimetry on up to 16 mice at high sample rates, in standard size cages. The system provides simultaneous continuous monitoring of motion in XYZ axes and intake of food and water. Body weight is quantified daily by means of an enrichment platform. The system includes optional programmable running wheels, timed food restriction, paired and yoked feeding protocols and telemetry for core body temperature and heart rate. Environmental sensors provide continuous data on room temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, sound level and room occupancy.
The system is housed in a temperature-controlled cabinet that permits programmed incubation at custom temperatures.
Sophisticated software provides circadian analysis, plus behavioral analysis in the form of an Ethoscan that reports the time budget and order of behaviors. Ambulatory activity and wheel running are reported in terms of both distance and speed. Feeding and drinking reports include number, duration and quantity of feeding and drinking events as well as time between events and total intake. The Ethoscan also reports on interactions with food and water hoppers that don’t result in food removal. A behavior transition matrix analyzes the proportion of behaviors that follow any of the other behaviors (for example, how often is exiting the body mass platform followed by a feeding or drinking event?).
The Promethion system is located in Todd Building Room 059D.
All animals tested using COCVD equipment will have approved use of individual test procedures (Sable Promethion Calorimetry, ECHO-MRI Relaxometry) on their home research IACUC protocol. Wendy Katz will provide an SOP on request.