Vanderbilt Center for Metabolic Phenotyping in Live Models of Obesity and Diabetes

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Overall Center The Vanderbilt Center for Metabolic Phenotyping in Live Models of Obesity and Diabetes (VMPMOD) is built on the strong Vanderbilt history of serving as a resource to study conscious, unstressed mice. During its 20-year lifespan the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center advanced research in diabetes, obesity, and metabolism by providing the scientific community with innovative and high-quality phenotyping services to study mouse models. Quality services and access to experienced faculty has created a large demand from outside investigators to use the Center. VMPMOD consists of three cores dedicated to serving outside investigators. The Administrative Core provides scientific, financial, and administrative leadership and oversees service requests and data management. The Animal Health and Welfare Core evaluate mice submitted to VMPMOD, oversees mouse health and welfare, and ensures compliance with regulatory bodies and VMPMOD guidelines. The Mouse Metabolic Physiology Core provides a range of surgical services for mice and flexible experimental services performed under customizable environment-controlled conditions. These experimental services are conducted by the Metabolic Regulation Subcore (MRSC) and the Body Weight Regulation Subcore (BWRSC). MRSC uses flexible platforms to study insulin action, hormone secretion, hypoglycemic regulation, exercise metabolism, and metabolic flux analysis with and without simultaneous measurements of ⩒O2, ⩒CO2, respiratory exchange ratio, carbohydrate oxidation, and fat oxidation. BWRSC utilizes techniques that allow for granular measurements of the components of energy balance under a wide range of conditions. Chemogenetics, optogenetics, and fiber photometry are applied in the MRSC and BWRSC to study neural control mechanisms in concurrence with studies of metabolism and energy balance. The proposed VMPMOD has made significant technical developments that create new opportunities for advances in our understanding of diabetes, obesity, and metabolism. The Vanderbilt mouse program has been successful because it is comprised of a faculty willing to develop and make technology that is part of their research lifeline available to the scientific community and because of staff that are so skilled and committed that scientists are willing to entrust their mice, their research lifelines, with them. The same faculty and staff that has made the program successful in the past will continue to lead VMPMOD. Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Administrative Core The Administrative Core provides oversight of Vanderbilt Center for Metabolic Phenotyping in Live Models of Obesity and Diabetes (VMPMOD) activities. This Core ensures that the Center operates efficiently, has a sustainable financial model, and is responsive to the needs of the national scientific community and the recommendations of standing committees. The Administrative Core supports all functions of VMPMOD which include (a) evaluation of the suitability of mice submitted for study to the Center, (b) consultation with investigators in conjunction with core staff for testing procedures on mice submitted to the Center, (c) oversight of research and development, (d) oversight of the outreach/educational component, (e) data management in conjunction with the National Program Coordinating Unit, and (f) interaction and coordinating services with other members of the consortium. This Core is also responsible for ensuring VMPMOD functions within guidelines established by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Program National Steering Committee. The Administrative Core consists of the Center Director, Associate Director, Resource Statistician, and Program Manager. In addition, the Administrative Core receives recommendations from three standing committees. The Center Executive Committee consists of the Center Director and faculty with different perspectives necessary for the success of the VMPMOD. The Executive Committee receives input from other committees and provides recommendations to improve center operations. It consists of the Center Director, directors of other NIDDK-funded center programs, chair of the department home of VMPMOD, and the Vice President of Animal Care. The Center Research Advisory Committee (RAC) consists of Core and Subcore Directors and Vanderbilt faculty with specific areas of expertise in studies of the mouse that are used by the VMPMOD. RAC meets to evaluate whether tests are performed with rigor and are reproducible and to provide recommendations on services that warrant expansion or expiration. VMPMOD provides unique services and expertise exclusively to investigators without direct affiliation to Vanderbilt. The External Advisory Committee (EAC) is comprised of external investigators at different career stages. EAC meets virtually to provide input that assists the VMPMOD to serve investigators most effectively. Center Director, Core Directors, Subcore Directors, and the Program Manager are ex officio members of the EAC. The EAC provides vital input to the RAC and the Center Executive Committee that informs VMPMOD actions. The Administrative Core participates in the National Consortium and directly interact with the National Consortium Coordinating Unit. Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Animal Health and Wellness Core The Animal Health and Welfare Core (AHWC) is responsible for receipt, certification, and husbandry of mice that are sent to Vanderbilt for the purpose of metabolic phenotyping. The AHWC is the interface between the Division of Animal Care and the Vanderbilt Center for Metabolic Phenotyping in Live Models of Obesity and Diabetes (VMPMOD). The responsibilities and services of this Core are critical for the VMPMOD to perform well-controlled experiments in non-stressed, healthy mice. The overall objective of the core is to facilitate the use of mice in diabetes, obesity, and related research, ensure compliance and maintain the health and colony numbers appropriate to the rate of center usage. Specifically, the Core is responsible for 1) receipt and documentation of incoming mice, 2) assignment and oversight of quarantine procedures, 3) provision of day-to-day husbandry, 4) provision of veterinary care and support, 5) performance of pathological assessments, and 6) implementation and maintenance of any specific dietary requirements. Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Mouse Metabolic Physiology Core The Mouse Metabolic Physiology Core and its two subcores, the Metabolic Regulation Subcore and the Body Weight Regulation Subcore, provide investigators both guidance on experimental design and use of state-of-the-art techniques to assess genetic and environmental determinants of insulin action, substrate metabolism, and energy balance in vivo. The experienced faculty and highly skilled staff of this Core have a 20-year history of performing complex procedures to study metabolism in healthy, unstressed mice and have been at the forefront of development, standardization, implementation, and dissemination of new concepts and techniques to study mouse models of metabolic diseases. In the present application, the Mouse Metabolic Physiology Core delivers critically needed mouse-related services to investigators outside of Vanderbilt. Skilled mouse surgeons perform difficult surgeries such as catheter, brain cannula, and brain probe implantations, as well as bariatric surgery and islet transplantation. Experienced staff perform complex experiments such as metabolic flux analyses under conditions such as those created by a glucose clamp or exercise. Measurements of energy balance components and assessment of reward/motivated behavior allow for the physiological and behavioral determinants of body weight to be determined in mouse models of metabolic disease. This Core merges techniques so that oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output, energy expenditure, activity and feeding behavior are measured simultaneously with studies of metabolism using indwelling catheters or neural regulation using implanted cannula and fiber optic probes. Experience at Vanderbilt over the past 5 years predicts robust use of this Core. The Mouse Metabolic Physiology Core participates in important educational programs for the diabetes community, including a weeklong course that has been given 20 times over 19 years focusing on surgical and experimental techniques necessary to perform glucose clamps in mice. In summary, the Core facilitates diabetes, obesity, and metabolism research by providing novel services that are feasible at few other institutions to investigators outside of Vanderbilt.