Laboratório de Endocrinologia Translacional, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Small Animal Imaging Unit, National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
J Vis Exp. 2024 Nov 8(213). doi: 10.3791/67393.
Skeletal muscle size, mass, and composition are critical properties for studying metabolic and muscle-related diseases, as they directly impact the understanding of disease progression and treatment outcomes. Quantifying a live animal's lean, adipose, and skeletal mass is important in metabolic, physiology, pharmacologic, and geroscience studies. However, obtaining accurate body composition measurements, especially of lean mass, remains challenging due to the inherent limitations of conventional assessment techniques. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a non-invasive radiological technique that enables high-resolution visualization of internal structures in small animal models. A standardized micro-CT method can significantly enhance translational research with more reliable and impactful results, particularly during aging studies or at different time points within the same animal. Despite its potential, the lack of standardization in image acquisition and analysis methods significantly hinders the comparability of results across different studies. Herein, we present a comprehensive and detailed low-cost protocol for lean mass analysis using micro-CT to address these challenges and promote consistency in research involving small animal models.
骨骼肌的大小、质量和组成是研究代谢和肌肉相关疾病的关键特性，因为它们直接影响对疾病进展和治疗结果的理解。量化活体动物的瘦肉、脂肪和骨骼质量在代谢、生理学、药理学和老年科学研究中很重要。然而，由于传统评估技术的固有局限性，获得准确的身体成分测量值，特别是瘦肉质量，仍然具有挑战性。微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）是一种非侵入性的放射学技术，可实现小动物模型内部结构的高分辨率可视化。标准化的 micro-CT 方法可以显著提高转化研究的可靠性和影响力，特别是在衰老研究或同一动物的不同时间点进行研究时。尽管具有潜力，但在图像采集和分析方法方面缺乏标准化，严重阻碍了不同研究结果的可比性。在此，我们提出了一种使用 micro-CT 进行瘦肉质量分析的全面、详细的低成本方案，以解决这些挑战并促进涉及小动物模型的研究的一致性。
