What the animal is made of, not only what it weighs
The scale shows body weight, but weight hides what matters in metabolic research: whether a change comes from fat, from lean tissue or from fluid. Two animals of the same weight can have very different compositions. Time-domain NMR reads fat mass, lean mass and free fluid separately, so changes show up early and clearly.
A short scan of an awake animal
The animal is placed in a holder that fits it, and the holder is moved into the instrument. Fat, lean tissue and fluid give signals that fade at different speeds, so a short measurement separates them. A calibration with reference materials turns the signals into masses. The animal is awake, needs no anaesthesia and is not exposed to radiation.
Where it is used
- Mice and rats in diet-induced obesity, genetic and other metabolic models
- Studies of ageing, exercise, nutrition and energy balance
- Tests of drug candidates and dietary interventions
Other species, such as zebrafish, small birds and bats, have also been measured. Very small animals need validation against carcass analysis, and frozen carcasses cannot be measured.
Organs and biopsies
Higher-frequency instruments with small probes also measure the fat in organs, tissue samples and biopsies, as a solvent-free alternative to extraction. Marked fat accumulation, as in a fatty liver model, is detected well. Mild accumulation can be missed, because the result depends on the tissue mass and on how severe the change is, so the method should be validated for each question.
What it adds
- No anaesthesia, so no stress and no effect of the anaesthetic on the measurement
- No ionising radiation, so animals can be scanned many times
- No consumables, and a short scan
- Repeatable, so the same animal can be followed over time
Points that matter in practice
- For research use only. The method is not a diagnostic tool
- Calibration with reference materials is the basis of the results, and it has to be checked regularly and when the instrument or the animal type changes
- A holder that fits the animal, and a calm animal, give the best results. Habituate the animals to the holder
- Compare results only from instruments with a consistent calibration. Comparisons with other techniques depend on the calibration, the temperature and the size of the animal
From your question to a routine method
Describe your animals and your study. MSY Consulting runs demonstrations, helps you plan the calibration and the procedures, and trains the people who will run the scans.
Let's talk about your application
Send an email describing your instrument and your application, and you will get a reply.
contact@msyconsulting.euMSY CONSULTING SAS · Wissembourg, France · LinkedIn