Estimation of body composition of neonatal pigs via deuterium oxide dilution: validation of technique.

Five studies were conducted to determine 1) the time period required for the equilibration of deuterium oxide (D2O) in body water in neonatal pigs following the intravenous (iv), intramuscular (im) or intraperitoneal (ip) injection of D2O and 2) the accuracy and precision of estimating body water, protein, fat and ash in neonatal pigs from the body D2O pool space. Deuterium oxide administered by iv and im injection equilibrated with body water by 40 and 20 min postinjection, respectively. Body D2O space determined from individual samples of blood fluids drawn at 40, 80 or 120 min postinjection accurately reflected body water determined by desiccation. The difference between D2O pool space determined at 120 min postinjection and body water in 4-kg pigs injected iv averaged - .050 kg, and the magnitude of the difference was relatively constant (standard deviation [SD] = .121 kg). The D2O pool space determined from im injection overestimated body water slightly (.163 kg), but the precision of the estimate was good (SD = .019 kg). Deuterium oxide injected ip did not consistently equilibrate by 200 min postinjection, and the estimated D2O pool space was not indicative of body water. The 90% confidence limits for estimating body water, protein, fat and ash in 4-kg pigs as determined by im and iv injection of D2O were .020 and .092 kg, .014 and .021 kg, .030 and .043 kg and .007 and .047 kg, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)