In:
Journal of Applied Physiology, American Physiological Society, Vol. 124, No. 2 ( 2018-02-01), p. 268-275
Abstract:
Obesity presents a growing public health problem. Therefore the analysis of body composition is important in clinical practice as well as in animal research models of obesity; hence precise methods for the assessment of body fat would be essential. We aimed to evaluate in vivo abdominal microcomputed tomography scan restricted to the L1–L3 region [micro-CT (L1–L3) ], a skinfold thickness-based method (STM), and postmortem body composition analysis (PMA) with regard to whole body micro-CT scan in rats. Male Wistar rats of different age groups (from 3 to 24 mo) and nutritional states (normally fed, high-fat diet-induced obese, and calorie-restricted) were used. The fat percentage was determined with micro-CT (L1–L3) and whole body scan in anesthetized rats. Their skinfold thickness was measured in five locations with a Lange caliper. Wet weights of epididymal and retroperitoneal fat pads were determined via PMA. With regard to fat mass, the strongest correlation was observed between abdominal and whole body micro-CT. The other methods showed weaker associations with whole body micro-CT and with each other. Micro-CT (L1–L3) and PMA showed similar age-associated increase in fat mass between 3 and 18 mo. Micro-CT (L1–L3) , STM, and PMA were efficient to detect differences in fat mass values in groups of different nutritional states. Micro-CT (L1–L3) appears to be a useful method for body fat assessment in rats with reduced scanning time. In rats, STM may also be a useful, low priced, noninvasive, and simple in vivo technique to assess obesity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Body fat of rats assessed by in vivo abdominal microcomputed tomography of the L1–L3 region strongly correlates with values determined by whole body scan. Therefore, it is a useful method for fat assessment with reduced scanning time. Skinfold thickness measurement is an in vivo technique to assess progression of obesity in rats.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
8750-7587
,
1522-1601
DOI:
10.1152/japplphysiol.00884.2016
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Physiological Society
Publication Date:
2018
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1404365-8
SSG:
12
SSG:
31
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