28.04.2023 – 2min Unlocking the Secrets of Gut Microbiota and Host Energy Metabolism: A Novel Approach with PhenoMaster-based Isolator SystemThe gut microbiota plays a vital role in regulating the host’s energy metabolism. Until recently, studies have shown that mice without microbiota accumulate less fat and are protected from obesity induced by high-fat diet. Several proposed mechanisms suggest that the interaction between gut microbiota and host energy metabolism is a complex process with multiple factors at play. However, identifying causal relationships has been a significant experimental challenge.Gnotobiotic mice, colonised with a simplified microbiota made up of defined species such as OligoMM12, have become a major tool to identify potential mechanisms of interaction between the microbiota and the host. Researchers from the group of Emma Slack at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology ETH Zürich compared the metabolic profile of germ-free (GF), gnotobiotic OligoMM12 and conventionally raised male C57Bl6/J mice (specific-opportunistic-pathogen-free (SPF)) with a focus on circadian rhythm.Addressing the influence of the OligoMM12 microbiota on host metabolism has been a challenging task. Long-term experiments require hygiene barrier conditions like those required to work with GF mice. TSE Systems, in collaboration with the authors, built an isolator-housed metabolic cage system based on the TSE PhenoMaster, which allowed longitudinal monitoring of O2, CO2, and hydrogen levels over periods of several weeks in GF and gnotobiotic mice while maintaining a strict hygienic barrier. The authors could confirm that GF mice maintain their GF status over at least 10 days of accommodation in PhenoMaster cages inside an isolator.The results showed that OligoMM12 mice had increased fat mass compared to GF and SPF mice, and GF mice exhibited slightly increased food intake without an effect on energy expenditure. However, GF mice had a lower respiratory exchange ratio (RER) than SPF mice in both light and dark phases, indicating an increased fat/decreased glucose metabolism. Additionally, circadian changes in RER, microbiota-derived hydrogen, and short-chain fatty acids were observed.This study demonstrates for the first time that isolator-based indirect calorimetry is possible and allows detailed analysis of the metabolism of GF and gnotobiotic mice in real time. As microbial dysbiosis is associated with various human diseases, circadian analysis of energy balance represents a crucial tool for mining microbiome data for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.Hoces, D., Lan, J., Sun, W., Geiser, T., Stäubli, M. L., Cappio Barazzone, E., … & Slack, E. (2022). Metabolic reconstitution of germ-free mice by a gnotobiotic microbiota varies over the circadian cycle. PLoS biology, 20(9), e3001743.Read the full article: Metabolic reconstitution of germ-free mice by a gnotobiotic microbiota varies over the circadian cycle | PLOS BiologyMore news The Power of The Hippocampus: Uncovered Stress-Induced Memory EnhancementsThe exciting study titled “Hippocampal Mechanisms Support Cortisol-Induced Memory Enhancements” Hippocampal Mechanisms Support Cortisol-Induced Memory Enhancements | Journal of Neuroscience (jneurosci.org) explores the intricate link... Learn more Exploring Cognitive Aging: Insights from different Studies in Rodent Models Using the IntelliCage SystemLife expectancy has increased greatly over the last decades, but it has been associated with a progressive rise in the incidence of age-related diseases, including... Learn more Why MotoRater is the best choice for advanced kinematic gait analysisRodent (rats and mice) kinematic gait analysis is a fundamental approach to exhibit genomic and neuro-de/re-generative preclinical research. Recent advancements in technologies and analytic tools... Learn more New study reveals tremendous impact of air pollution and traffic noise on health in mice.Air pollution is a global environmental crisis that has been linked to an estimated 9 million premature deaths per year, according to The Lancet Commission... Learn more Researchers record brain waves of free-swimming octopuses for the first time using the NeurologgerOctopuses are considered one of the most intelligent invertebrates. With over 300 million neurons, octopuses have the most complex invertebrate brain. Their brain is composed... Learn more Preclinical Research Trends in 2023In the coming years, several exciting trends promise to revolutionize how we conduct preclinical animal research. Here are the most significant trends that we can... Learn more
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