Measurement of body composition in rats and mice

描述（由申请人提供）：许多类型的研究需要准确测量身体成分。在这项申请中，我们要求资助购买旨在测量身体成分（脂肪，肌肉和水）的设备。这套设备将满足美国国立卫生研究院资助的十三个项目的需要，这些项目由莫内尔化学感官中心的八名研究人员进行。目前，在Monell通过化学分析来测量身体成分，这是缓慢的，或者通过DEXA，这仅限于小鼠，需要麻醉;或者我们使用附近的设备，在测量后需要牺牲动物。本申请中所要求的系统的优点在于：（1）其测量组织样品中或几个物种的清醒动物中的组成（通过使用限制运动的动物管），（2）其比其他方法更快且更准确，以及（3）其可以在动物在现场时测量动物，而不需要随后将它们处死。从测量身体组成中受益的项目包括小鼠和大鼠肥胖的遗传学;选择性繁殖的小鼠品系的酒精偏好;味觉和肥胖，食物摄入量和体重的相互作用，特别是在“甜食爱好者”的小鼠中;对钙等矿物质的食欲;炎症对味觉的影响;以及味觉功能受损或增强或肠道营养感应缺陷的基因工程小鼠。所要求的这些设备将提高一大批核心调查员的工作质量。这些领域的转化研究是关键问题，因为重点是预防肥胖和其他营养摄入疾病，例如，酒精中毒过量甜食摄入和糖尿病 公共卫生相关性：动物的身体组成可能因自然发生的遗传变异、遗传操作或其他治疗而不同，例如，高脂肪或高热量的饮食。动物体成分的快速准确测量提高了实验结果的质量和可靠性。为此，我们正在申请资金购买一台布鲁克小型LF 110系统，用于测量人类疾病动物模型中的脂肪、肌肉和水分含量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Many types of research require accurate measures of body composition. In this application, we are requesting funding to purchase equipment designed to measure body composition (fat, muscle, and water). This equipment will meet the needs of thirteen National Institutes of Health- funded projects conducted by eight investigators at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Currently, body composition is measured at Monell by chemical analysis, which is slow, or by DEXA, which is limited to mice and requires anesthetization; or we make use of nearby equipment that necessitates sacrifice of animals after measurements are taken. The advantages of the system requested in this application are that (1) it measures composition in tissue samples or in awake animals of several species (by use of animal tubes that restrict movement), (2) it is faster and more accurate than the other methods, and (3) it can measure the animals while they are onsite, without need to sacrifice them afterward. The projects that would benefit from measuring body composition involve the genetics of obesity in mice and rats; alcohol preference among selectively bred strains of mice; the interaction of taste and obesity, food intake, and body weight, especially in mice that are "sweet-liker's"; the appetite for minerals such as calcium; the effect of inflammation on taste; and genetically engineered mice with compromised or enhanced taste function or with deficits in gut nutrient sensing. This requested equipment will enhance the quality of the work done by a large core group of investigators. Translational research in these areas is of critical concern because of the focus on obesity prevention and other diseases of nutrient intake, e.g., alcoholism, excess sweet intake, and diabetes. Public Health Relevance: The body composition of animals can differ because of naturally-occurring genetic variation, genetic manipulation, or other treatments, e.g., a diet high in fat or calories. The fast and accurate measurement of body composition in animals enhances the quality and reliability of experimental results. To that end, we are requesting funds to purchase a Bruker minispec LF110 system that will measure the amount of fat, muscle, and water in animal models of human disease.