UAB Animal Physiology Core

Overview

The Animal Physiology Core (APC) provides for diabetes related phenotyping in small animal models. Services offered include the assessment of body composition, energy balance, glucose homeostasis, cardiovascular assessment, imaging, and transgenic animal models.

Objectives

• Body composition: Whole-body composition analysis by chemical carcass analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR), and micro-computed tomography (µCT).
• Energy balance: Comprehensive assessments of metabolic rate (indirect calorimetry), food intake, fecal output, activity, and body temperature.
• Glucose homeostasis: Glucose and insulin tolerance testing.
• Cardiovascular assessment: Echocardiography and blood pressure.
• Imaging: Bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging, and gamma-ray imaging, including SPECT.
• Transgenic animal models: Assistance with construct preparation, generation of transgenic/knock-out mice, husbandry and colony management, and genotyping.

Services

The APC emphasizes quality control in all aspects of its functions. All data is examined and quality controls performed in a manner that is specific for the multiple core methodologies. Aspects of these procedures are discussed below in the context of provided core services.

Whole-body composition analysis

• Chemical carcass analysis (CCA)
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
• Quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR)
• In vivo and ex vivo imaging of small rodents using micro-computed tomography (µCT)
• Measurement of in vivo liver fat using µCT

Comprehensive assessments of metabolic rate (indirect calorimetry), food intake, fecal output, and activity

Glucose homeostasis

• Insulin tolerance test (ITT)
• Glucose tolerance test (GTT)

Cardiovascular assessments

• Systolic function
• Diastolic function
• Vascular compliance
• Blood pressure

Optical Imaging

• Bioluminescence and fluorescence
• Gamma-ray imaging, including SPECT

Transgenic Animal/Embryonic Stem Cell Resource

• Expertise related to transgenics
• Services Offered by the UAB Transgenic Mouse Facility
  • DNA microinjection (pronuclear)
  • Gene Targeting of ES cells (with & without screening)
  • ES cell microinjection (blastocysts)
  • In vitro fertilization (IVF)
  • Embryo cryopreservation
  • Sperm cryopreservation
  • Long-term storage of cryopreserved transgenic lines
  • Assisted reproduction / rederivations
  • Consultation & training