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Energy metabolism

Introduction

The metabolic screen performs a comprehensive analysis of bioenergetics in mouse mutants with different phenotypes. Based on the structure of the German Mouse Clinic the metabolic laboratory investigates physiological mechanisms leading to defects in body weight regulation and energy balance. The main goal of the metabolic screen is to identify mouse mutants which exhibit disorders in allometrical relations of body composition, body size and metabolism as well as variations in energy uptake, storage and energy expenditure. The experimental work flow offers different entries into the metabolic screen.

Primary screen - Body mass and energy expenditure (EUMODIC)

  • indirect calorimetry
    (oxygen consumption, CO2production and heat production), determination of the respiratory quotient  (relationship of CO2 and O2) for analysis of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism

The secondary screen - energy balance, thermoregulation and chronobiological aspects

  • ad libitum food consumption
  • body weight
  • rectal body temperature
  • energy uptake
  • energy content of feces
  • energy assimilation
  • food assimilation coefficient (bomb calorimetry)
  • parameter recording under food restriction
  • determination of the thermoneutral zone (TNZ), Basal- and Resting Metabolic Rate (BMR and RMR respectively)
  • heat and cold exposure
  • substrate utilization and energy expenditure during food restriction
  • telemetrical recording of body temperature, activity and heart rate
  • chronobiological analysis: activity, heart rate, body temperature and metabolism
  • food restriction: measurement of change of body weight, adaptation of body temperature, heart rate and metabolism

The tertiary screen - body composition

  • Chemical carcass analysis: Desiccation and Soxhlet lipid extraction