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Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for the measurement of gross body composition in rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Susan A. Jebb
Affiliation:
MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2DH
Stephen W Garland
Affiliation:
MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2DH
Graham Jennings
Affiliation:
MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2DH
Marinos Elia
Affiliation:
MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2DH
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Abstract

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Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a novel, non-invasive technique for the measurement of gross body composition in small animals. In the present study the absolute accuracy of the Hologic QDR-lOOOW scanner was assessed by comparison with direct analysis in twelve rats with a range of body fat and bone mineral content (BMC) values. Fat masses measured by DXA and petroleumether extraction were significantly different (P<0·0023). The DXA technique consistently overestimated fat mass by approximately one third of the measured fatcontent. BMC derived from the measurement of Ca in asb gave a mean of 8·26 (range 1·57–15·71)g. BMC measured by DXA was not significantly different for the group as a whole. However, there was a trend for DXA to overestimate BMC in animals with low BMC and underestimate in those with higher BMC, compared with direct analysis, such that the 95% limits of agreement for the two techniques were +2·73 to −2·58g. These results suggest that the present small-animal software developed for use with currently available Hologic machines does not give an accurate measure of gross body composition compared with the results from classical direct analysis.

Type
Body composition assessment
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1996

References

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