Animal Physiology & Phenotyping, DRTC - Albert Einstein College of Medicine

DRTC Albert Einstein College of Medicine Animal Physiology Core :

The mission of the AP Core is assist investigators in the in vivo assessment of glucose tolerance and insulin action in mice and rats. It also performs studies of body adiposity distribution in rats and mice, and facilitates NMR spectroscopy, fMRI and microPET analysis and imaging of rats and mice undergoing metabolic studies. Through collaborative efforts with the other Cores of the DRTC, the effects of defined pharmacological, dietary, environmental and genetic alterations are thoroughly characterized for their effects on glucose homeostasis, insulin action, and metabolism. The role of candidate molecules in relevant tissues, such as neurons and hepatocytes, that are related to glucose homeostasis can be sharply delineated by thorough and definitive experimentation in rodent models. Due to the establishment of close ties among the various Cores of the DRTC, opportunities to explore new rodent models of diabetes are greeted with enthusiasm by the collaborators of the AP Core. It is a highly successful Core that supports a major effort in the DRTC and also expands these services to other scientists beyond Einstein. The broad expertise of the AP staff allows its Core to make available to biomedical investigators a wide range of specialized, high quailty methodologies and tools relevant to understanding the behavior and physiology mediating the relationship between diabetes, nutrient sensing, and obesity in rodents. The services of this Core are available to investigators new to diabetes research, as well as to investigators working on diabetes-related projects that can be enriched and extended by the use of the expertise and facilities of this core.

The objectives of this Animal Physiology Core Laboratory are the following:

1. To make available to investigators specialized measurements of glucose tolerance and insulin action in rats and mice including, but not limited to insulin, pancreatic and hyperglycemic clamp studies.
2. To make available to investigators specialized measurements of rodent adipose tissue distribution using microCT and 1HMRI/MRS.
3. To make available to investigators specialized measurements of glycogen in rodent liver and muscle, intrahepatic lipids and intramyocellular lipids using NMR.
4. To make available to investigators specialized measurements of brain blood utilization and glucose utilization by functional MRI and microPET scanning.
5. To offer instruction to students, postdoctoral fellows, investigators and technical staff in performing surgical and physiological techniques necessary to evaluate the controls of glucose homeostasis and insulin action in rats and mice using clamps and body fat distribution using MicroCT.
6. To advise investigators in designing metabolic studies relevant to the control of glucose homeostasis and insulin action in rodents.

People :

Nir Barzilai, M.D. : Director, Animal Physiology Core, Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Belfer Building, Room 701, Bronx, NY 10461. Phone: 718-430-3144