Animal Phenotyping (Core B)

Animal Phenotyping Core PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Rodent models of obesity have proven invaluable to the study of obesity and to the work carried out by NYNORC investigators. To meet the growing needs of Center researchers in the evaluation of multiple molecular and systemic physiological indices of metabolism in obesity, including inflammation, gene expression, and both shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis, the proposed NYNORC Animal Phenotyping Core (APC) reflects a significant expansion of the Animal Energy Balance Core (Einstein) and integration with the animal component of the Adipose Tissue Core (Columbia). Since our last submission (2015), the APC has processed 10,231 tissue samples and phenotyped or operated on 4023 mice/rats for 36 NYNORC members supported by 31 grants, and provided additional services to 5 NIH-funded non-NYNORC members. The services offered by APC have been instrumental in obtaining 18 new or renewed grants, and in 119 publications. Based on their experiences with the APC core and ever-increasing data demands of high impact research journals, NYNORC members' research programs have responded by expanding in their sophistication and desire for multiple spontaneous measures of metabolism and tissue-targeting approaches in awake behaving animals. Accordingly, new services requested by 14 existing and new NYNORC members, including continuous blood glucose monitoring, electromyography, in vivo tissue-specific thermogenesis, and adipose tissue analyses have led to 4 new and 1 renewed R01 grant, and have generated >250 service requests from 17 NYNORC users for more extensive uses of these services for the next funded period. The proposed APC concentrates and coordinates significantly expanded technical and research capabilities of this amalgamated Core. The incorporation of additional animal resources at both the Einstein and Columbia campuses, will significantly increase the user and research base of the NYNORC overall, and of the APC Core in particular. By coordinated application of NYNORC-dedicated facilities, and resources and expertise at both Columbia and Einstein, the proposed APC Core combines sophisticated qualitative and quantitative measurements of ingestive behavior with concurrent assessments of energy expenditure, physical activity, body temperature, and repeatable noninvasive body composition analysis by MRI and MicroCT. Also available are a range of metabolic surgeries, including gastrointestinal bypass, autonomic denervation procedures, and adipose tissue services including: 1) quantifying adipocyte subpopulations (brown, white, beige), in terms of size, variation, and cellular ultrastructure; 2) primary cell isolation and analysis; 3) differentiation of adipocytes and adipose tissue macrophages; and 4) adipose tissue transplantation. This expanded array of services stems from the growing realization that our understanding of the biology of obesity requires simultaneous assessment of energy intake and energy expenditure, and of the means to determine their net effects on energy balance repeatedly in individual animals.