Study of Body Composition in Live Small Animals Using Low-Field NMR Technology

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) allows rapid, accurate, and quantitative measurement of fat and lean mass in conscious small animals. NMR imaging provides clear two-dimensional maps of fat distribution. When combined with quantitative analysis, it delivers comprehensive and detailed data to support scientific research.

Advantages of NMR:

 

1. Conscious: no anaesthesia or sacrifice required, saving costs.

2. Fast: no pre-treatment needed, completed within 2 minutes.

3. Comprehensive: integrates analysis and imaging, combining quantitative data with intuitive visualisation.

Applications of NMR:

 

1. Drug discovery and development

2. Disease research:

Obesity studies

Cardiovascular research

Hypertension

Nutritional science

3. Metabolic research

Application examples of NMR in animal body-fat research:

Case 1: Nutritional science study

The QMR awake-animal analyser can rapidly measure both fat and lean mass. This technology is valuable for evaluating the efficacy of anti-obesity drug candidates.

Case 2: Fat-distribution imaging with NMR

The strength of LF-NMR lies in combining quantitative and qualitative insights. MRI images provide a clear, intuitive view of fat distribution within tissues. With Niumag’s advanced image-processing software, raw scans can be expressed in multiple formats, enhancing the depth of data interpretation.

Selected customer publications

Instruments used:
QMR21-070H Awake Small-Animal Body Composition Analyser (with imaging option)
QMR06-090H LF-NMR Small-Animal Body Composition Analyser