We thank the staff from the Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct Animal Services (AMREP AS) team for their assistance and care of the mice used in this study and for the support of the Operational Infrastructure Support scheme of the Victorian State Government.

All experiments described were approved by the Alfred Medical Research Education Precinct Animal Ethics Committee (AMREP AEC) and mice were provided humane care in line with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia Guidelines on Animal experimentation. Animals were administered their prescribed diet and water ad libitum and housed in a temperature-controlled environment (~21 - 22 &#176;C) with a 12 h light and 12 h-dark cycle. Seven week old male mice (on a C57Bl/6J background) were ...

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Critical steps 
The protocols described herein provide an example of ways in which to measure body composition and various metabolic parameters in mice using a body composition analyzer and a metabolic animal monitoring system. For both techniques, it is critically important to ensure that the machines are working optimally, and to do this, it is imperative that the researcher performs a system test for the body composition analyzer and calibrates to a known gas composition fo...

Metabolism underpins many aspects of normal cellular, organ, and whole-body physiology. Consequently, in the setting of various pathologies, alterations to metabolism may directly contribute to the underlying condition or may be adversely impacted as a side-effect of the pathology. Traditionally, metabolic research and studies into energy balance have been concentrated on the field of obesity and related conditions such as insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, glucose intolerance, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This research is warranted given the escalating prevalence of such conditions worldwide and the individual, societal, and economic costs these conditions inflict. As such, the development of prevention strategies and new therapeutics to target obesity is a continuing goal in research laboratories around the world and preclinical mouse models are heavily relied upon for these studies.
While weighing mice provides a reliable assessment of weight gain or loss, it does not provide a breakdown of the different components that make up whole-body composition (fat mass, lean mass, free water as well as other components such as fur and claws). The weighing of fat pads at the completion of studies once the mouse is deceased provides an accurate measure of different fat depots but can only provide data for a single time point. As a consequence, it is often necessary to enroll multiple cohorts to investigate the development of obesity over time, significantly increasing animal numbers, time, and costs. The use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) provides an approach to assess body fat and lean tissue contents and allows the researcher to obtain data in a longitudinal fashion. However, the procedure requires mice to be anesthetized1, and repeated bouts of anesthesia may impact the accumulation of adipose tissue or impact other aspects of metabolic regulation. EchoMRI utilizes nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry to measure fat and lean mass, free water, and total water content. This is achievable due to the creation of contrast between the different tissue components, with differences in the duration, amplitude and spatial distribution of generated radio frequencies allowing the delineation and quantification of each tissue type. This technique is advantageous as it is non-invasive, quick, simple, requires no anesthesia or radiation, and, importantly, has been positively validated against chemical analysis2.
A key consideration of obesity and related research is the energy balance equation. While fat accumulation is more complicated than purely energy in (food intake) versus energy out (energy expenditure), they are vital factors to be able to measure. Daily energy expenditure is the total of four different components: (1) basal energy expenditure (resting metabolic rate); (2) the energy expenditure due to the thermic effect of food consumption; (3) the energy required for thermoregulation; and (4) the energy spent on physical activity. As energy expenditure generates heat, measuring heat production by an animal (known as direct calorimetry) can be used to assess energy expenditure. Alternatively, measurement of inspired and expired concentrations of O2 and CO2, allowing for determination of whole-body O2 consumption and CO2 production, can be utilized as a way to indirectly measure (indirect calorimetry) heat production and consequently calculate energy expenditure. An increase in food intake or a decrease in energy expenditure will predispose mice to weight gain and observations of changes in these parameters can provide useful information of likely mechanisms of action in particular models of obesity. A related metabolic parameter of interest is the respiratory exchange ratio (RER), an indicator of the proportion of substrate/fuel (i.e., carbohydrate or fat) that is undergoing metabolism and being utilized to produce energy. Consequently, measurement of food intake (energy consumed) combined with physical activity levels, O2 consumption, RER, and energy expenditure can provide a broad understanding of an organism&#39;s metabolic profile. One method to gather such data is to use a comprehensive laboratory animal monitoring system (CLAMS), which is based on the indirect calorimetry method to measure energy expenditure and has the added capabilities of determining physical activity levels (beam breaks) and food intake via scales incorporated into the measurement chamber.
In this protocol we provide a straight-forward description of the use of a body composition analyzer to assess body composition in mice and a metabolic animal monitoring system to measure aspects of metabolism. Considerations and limitations for these techniques will be discussed as well as suggested methods of analysis, interpretation, and data representation.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1053">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">4 in 1 system</td>
			<td style="width:157px;">EchoMRI</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">4 in 1 system</td>
			<td style="width:371px;">Whole body composition analyser</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">Canola oil test sample (COSTS)</td>
			<td>EchoMRI</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Mouse-specific (contact company for cat number)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Animal specimen holder&#160;</td>
			<td>EchoMRI</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">103-E56100R</td>
			<td style="width:371px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:251px;">Delimiter&#160;</td>
			<td>EchoMRI</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">600-E56100D</td>
			<td style="width:371px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">12 chamber system</td>
			<td>Columbus Instruments</td>
			<td>Custom built</td>
			<td>Metabolic Caging System; includes control program</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Drierite</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>238988</td>
			<td>CLAMS consumable</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;">Calibration gas tank</td>
			<td>Air Liquide</td>
			<td>Mixed to order</td>
			<td>Gas calibration (0.5% CO2, 20.5% O2, balance nitrogen).&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Normal chow diet</td>
			<td>Specialty Feeds</td>
			<td>Irradiated mouse and rat diet</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">High fat diet</td>
			<td>Specialty Feeds</td>
			<td>SF04-001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Balance</td>
			<td>Mettler Toledo</td>
			<td>PL202-S</td>
			<td>Balance for weighing mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">TexQ Disinfectant spray</td>
			<td>TexWipe</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Hydrogen Peroxide cleaning solution</td>
			<td>TexWipe</td>
			<td>TX684</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

body composition and metabolic caging analysis in high fat fed mice

Alterations to body composition (fat or lean mass), metabolic parameters such as whole-body oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, and substrate utilization, and behaviors such as food intake and physical activity can provide important information regarding the underlying mechanisms of disease. Given the importance of body composition and metabolism to the development of obesity and its subsequent sequelae, it is necessary to make accurate measures of these parameters in the pre-clinical research setting. Advances in technology over the past few decades have made it possible to derive these measures in rodent models in a non-invasive and longitudinal fashion. Consequently, these metabolic measures have proven useful when assessing the response of genetic manipulations (for example knockout or transgenic mice, viral knock-down or overexpression of genes), experimental drug/compound screening and dietary, behavioral or physical activity interventions. Herein, we describe the protocols used to measure body composition and metabolic parameters using an animal monitoring system in chow-fed and high fat diet-fed mice.

The results seen in Figure 3 display a typical change in body composition parameters upon high fat feeding, as measured via EchoMRI. At baseline there was no difference in any parameter measured (Figure 3A-F). However, after just 1 week of high fat feeding, there was a significant increase in body weight, fat mass, and fat mass percentage in the HFD group (Figure 3A,B</strong...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice at JoVE.com

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice

This protocol describes the use of a body composition analyzer and metabolic animal monitoring system to characterize body composition and metabolic parameters in mice. An obesity model induced by high-fat feeding is used as an example for the application of these techniques.

Alterations to body composition (fat or lean mass), metabolic parameters such as whole-body oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, and substrate ...

The goal if this procedure is to collect body composition and metabolic measurements from mice such as fat and lean mass percentages and energy expenditure. This methods can help answer important questions regarding mice metabolism such as, how fat are my mice? And why are my mice so fat?The main advantage with this techniques is that they can be completed in living conscious mice and therefore can be repeated numerous times through out a study. Prior to scanning mice perform a system test on the body composition analyzer machine once the machine has warmed up for a few hours. Use the standards called Canola Oil System Test Sample or COSTS.Open the system software then click the System Test toolbar button or by pressing alt+Y on the keyboard. Before starting the test, put the correct standard inside the gantry of the system. Then run the diagnostic test following the system prompts as needed.After the system has passed the test proceed with the diagnosis of a mouse. Now put the mouse in a holder. A red opaque holder is the least stressful.Position the holder at a 45 degree angle and insert the mouse. Then slowly and carefully raise the holder until it is vertical. Next insert a delimiter into the holder to limit the movement of the mouse.In some circumstances, with extremely active mice, it may be necessary to manually secure the delimiter. Now within the software select a folder to save the data to and create a filename. Next if necessary, reduce the amount of random noise in the fat and lean measurements by increasing the number of Primary Accumulations of the scan.Usually however, the default settings will give the necessary level of precision. If data for free water and total water aren't needed, then turn off the water stage by using the appropriate toggle. This will significantly speed up the scan.Now initiate the scan my selecting Start Scan or by pressing F5 on the keyboard. Enter all relevant data about the animal and press OK or F5 to commence the scan which will take about a minute. After collecting the data return the animal back to its cage.Always safely clean the acrylic holder between uses such as with warm soapy water. Later, once all of the animals have been scanned export the data for further analysis and collation. Before beginning, make sure the machine has been on for over two hours.In the Animal Monitoring System, open the control program and select the Oxymax utility option from the tool menu to initiate the pumps. Then check the desiccant and replace it with fresh dry material if needed. Also, check the condition of the ammonia trap and soda lime and replace it if needed.Next, connect the calibration gas tank to the system using a regulator and hose. Then open the valve and output five to 10 PSI of gas. Next in the software, select Calibration from the Tools menu and check that the sample and reference flows are at precisely 0.4 liters per minute.Then check that the zirconia oxygen sensor is heated to 725 degrees Celsius give or take one degree Celsius. Next make certain that the sample and reference drier and air pumps are all ON and double check that the calibration gas is attached and tuned on. Now proceed with the calibration and as needed slightly adjust the OFFSET control on the front of the zirconia oxygen sensor to achieve an oxygen ratio value within acceptable limits.After successfully calibrating the oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors, detach the gas standard and read the oxygen levels of atmospheric gas which should be about 20.92. If measuring food intake, consider using powdered mouse diet. Then load the food hopper by depressing the spring loaded platform.Next fill the water bottles and organize the food. Now weigh and inspect the health of the mice before proceeding to assemble the chambers. Next place the food hopper on the balance.Above it, place the chamber with the perforated platform. Then carefully place the mouse in the chamber and attach a lid using the front and back clips. Then fasten on the water bottle to complete the set-up.Now set up the next mouse and after all the mice are ready, double check the chamber lids, mice, and water. To run the experiment, select Experimental File Open from the menu. Then select the appropriate template.Next, under Setup, define the parameters of the experiment that should be recorded and deselect any chambers not in use. Then select the location for the experiment to be saved. If food intake is to be measured, tare the scales.Then start the capturing of data by selecting Run in the Experiment menu. The first 24 hours can be used as an acclamation phase and the next 24 plus hours, used for data analysis. At least twice a day, check on the animals and the data collection.Make certain each has access to food and water and look for signs of distress such as digging of the perforated flooring. In the software check the real time data collection. Go to the Metabolic tab to look at oxygen consumption, RER and energy expenditure.O2IN should read between 20.90 and 20.94 CO2IN should read approximately 0.04 RER should read between 0.7 and one the flow rate should be at a constant 0.5 to 0.6 liters per minute. Under the Activity tab, real time data on beam breaks is displayed. Under the Feeding tabs, real time data on food consumption is displayed.To finish the experiment, select Stop from the Experiment menu and export the results as CSV files for analysis. Then inspect the health of the mice, weigh them, and then return them to their home cages. In the following graphs, the black squares represent mice fed the high fat diet and the black circles represent the mice fed the standard chow diet.Changes in body composition parameters caused by high fat feeding were measured via EchoMRI using the described procedures. After one week on the high fat diet, there was a significant weight gain which increased by three weeks. The weight change could be clearly attributed to a change in fat mass.It was not due to a change in lean mass, free water content or total water content. In the following bar graphs, the white columns represent the chow fed mice and the black columns represent the high fat fed mice. V02 measurements when normalized to animal mass showed no changes after the three week period.Similarly energy expenditure measurements when normalized to animal mass showed no changes. Physical activity measured by beam breaks, varied by time of day but was the same for both groups. Food intake was not different when normalized to body mass.This amount is significantly more energy intake with the high fat diet. Once established as it is non invasive the body composition analysis can be conducted on a daily basis if necessary. While extended animal metabolic monitoring sessions may be considered more stressful to the mice due to the social isolation, these analysis can also be performed numerous times within a The implications of these techniques extend towards identifying therapeutic targets for obesity and metabolic disorders such as type two diabetes by the careful metabolic phenotyping of mice in regards to genetic manipulations or drug treatments.Ultimately not only can these methods provide insights for obesity but also for other conditions such as mass models of sarcopenia, cancer cachexia, muscular dystrophy or widi dystrophy.

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15.1K Views.  Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. The goal if this procedure is to collect body composition and metabolic measurements from mice such as fat and lean mass percentages and energy expenditure. This methods can help answer important questions regarding mice metabolism such as, how fat are my mice? And why are my mice so fat?The main advantage with this techniques is that they can be completed in living conscious mice and therefore can be repeated numerous times through out a study. Prior to scanning mice perform a system ...