Animal Behavior & Energy Balance Core ABEBC

As part of the translational research mission of the University of Kentucky, studies are conducted to discover new knowledge and translate those findings more rapidly to human disease applications. Rodent animal models facilitate these studies in a number of ways, including serving as models of human disease and allowing study of the impact of potential interventions on both physiology and adverse pharmacology outcomes. The analysis of mouse behavior is a critical component of these studies. 

The goals of Animal Behavior within in the ABEBC are to: 

• Conduct reliable and validated animal behavior tests for investigators at the University of Kentucky.
• Ensure that qualified and trained investigators have access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise necessary to perform behavior tests.
• Provide assistance in the design, implementation and analysis of behavioral experiments in rodents and other animals.

Energy Balance and Body Composition within ABEBC provides the equipment for measurement of lean/fat mass and whole body metabolism in mice. Because the primary focus of the COCVD is to identify mechanisms linking obesity to cardiovascular disease, it is imperative to obtain a sensitive, reproducible quantitative analysis of these measures of adiposity and metabolism. The Echo MRI is utilized for non-invasive quantitative assessment of lean and fat mass. The Sable Promethion Calorimeter indirectly measures oxygen consumption (RER), food and water intake, and physical activity in mice.

Core Services

• Training
• Equipment maintenance and daily monitoring
• Assistance with data analysis
• Experiment setup (Sable)