Visceral fat mass determination in rodent: validation of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and anthropometric techniques in fat and lean rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Because abdominal obesity is predisposed to various metabolic disorders, it is of major importance to assess and track the changes with time of this specific fat mass. The main issue for clinicians or researchers is to use techniques for assessing abdominal fat deposition and its accumulation or changes over time, without sacrificing of experimental subjects. In the rat, techniques to investigate in-vivo visceral fat mass are lacking. The purpose of the study was to validate indirect Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry technique and abdominal circumference measurement as tools to predict visceral adipose tissue in rats.</p> <p>Forty-three Wistar male rats from different body weight, fat mass and ages were included in the study. Visceral fat mass was assessed by weighing the total perirenal and peri-epididymal adipose tissues after dissection. Statistical methods were used to discriminate the best region of interest allowing the in-vivo measure of Central Fat Mass by DXA. Abdominal circumference was measured at the same time as the DXA scan.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A region of interest including Central Fat Mass from the whole body DXA scan (extending from L2 to L5 vertebrae), correlated strongly with <it>ex-vivo </it>Fat Mass (r = 0.94, p < 0.001). Abdominal circumference correlated significantly with <it>ex-vivo </it>Fat Mass (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) and Central Fat Mass (0.90, p < 0.001) in the whole group of rats. When dividing the whole group into lean and fat rats, correlations remained significant between Central Fat Mass and <it>ex-vivo </it>Fat Mass but disappeared for the lean group between abdominal circumference and <it>ex-vivo </it>Fat Mass.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study validates the Central Fat Mass determined by DXA as a non-sacrificial technique to assess visceral fat for in-vivo investigations in rats. The abdominal circumference measure appears useful in studying overweight or obese rats. These two techniques could be convenient tools in follow-up and longitudinal studies.</p

Impact of an obesogenic diet program on bone densitometry, micro architecture and metabolism in male rat.

International audienceABSTRACT: Background The relationships between fat mass and bone tissue are complex and not fully elucidated. A high-fat/high-sucrose diet has been shown to induce harmful effects on bone micro architecture and bone biomechanics of rat. When such diet leads to obesity, it may induce an improvement of biomechanical bone parameters in rodent. Here, we examined the impact of a high-fat/high-sucrose diet on the body composition and its resulting effects on bone density and structure in male rats. Forty three Wistar rats aged 7 months were split into 3 groups: 1 sacrificed before diet (BD, n=14); 1 subjected to 16 weeks of high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HF/HS, n=14); 1 subjected to standard diet (Control, n=15). Abdominal circumference and insulin sensitivity were measured and visceral fat mass was weighed. The bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed at the whole body and tibia by densitometry. Microcomputed tomography and histomorphometric analysis were performed at L2 vertebrae and tibiae to study the trabecular and cortical bone structures and the bone cell activities. Osteocalcin and CTX levels were performed to assess the relative balance of the bone formation and resorption. Differences between groups have been tested with an ANOVA with subsequent Scheffe post-hoc test. An ANCOVA with global mass and global fat as covariates was used to determine the potential implication of the resulting mechanical loading on bone. RESULTS: The HF/HS group had higher body mass, fat masses and abdominal circumference and developed an impaired glucose tolerance compared to Control group (p<0.001). Whole body bone mass (p<0.001) and BMD (p<0.05) were higher in HF/HS group vs. Control group. The trabecular thickness at vertebrae and the cortical porosity of tibia were improved (p<0.05) in HF/HS group. Bone formation was predominant in HF/HS group while an unbalance bone favoring bone resorption was observed in the controls. The HF/HS and Control groups had higher total and abdominal fat masses and altered bone parameters vs. BD group. Conclusions The HF/HS diet had induced obesity and impaired glucose tolerance. These changes resulted in an improvement of quantitative, qualitative and metabolic bone parameters. The fat mass increase partly explained these observations

Interventions nutritionnelles, exercice physique et perturbations métaboliques : réponses micro-architecturales, densitométrique, biomécaniques et cellulaires du tissu osseux chez le rat mâle. Induction de l'obésité et prise en charge.

Si l’obésité a longtemps été considérée comme protectrice pour le squelette, sa prise en charge nutritionnelle s’accompagne d’une perte osseuse. Dans le but d’étudier les mécanismes liant le tissu adipeux et le tissu osseux, des rats ont été nourris avec un régime riche en graisse et en sucre afin d’induire une obésité et ses complications métaboliques. Puis, ces rats ont suivi un programme de prise en charge de l’obésité associant un rééquilibrage nutritionnel à de l’activité physique. Des investigations de la densité, de la micro architecture trabéculaire, de la qualité corticale, des propriétés biomécaniques et des paramètres cellulaires du tissu osseux ont été réalisées sur le squelette des rats. L’obésité induite a amélioré les paramètres densitométriques et corticaux des rats. La prise en charge de l’obésité a entraîné des effets contrastés. Le rééquilibrage de l’alimentation n’a pas altéré la densité ni les paramètres biomécaniques et corticaux du tissu osseux des rats en dépit d’altérations de la micro architecture et des perturbations l’activité cellulaire osseuse. L’exercice a augmenté la densité minérale osseuse du tibia des rats. Nos résultats montrent que l’inclusion de l’exercice dans un programme de prise en charge de l’obésité permet de potentialiser la perte de masse grasse et de maintenir l’intégrité du squelette. En étudiant l’impact d’un régime obésogène et de la prise en charge de l’obésité sur le tissu osseux chez le rat, ce travail de thèse apporte sa contribution dans la compréhension des mécanismes liant le tissu adipeux et le tissu osseux.While obesity has long been considered protective of bone tissue, its nutritional management is linked to a concomitant bone loss. In order to access these mechanisms, male rats were given a high fat / high sucrose diet to induce obesity and its resulting metabolic disorders. Then, these rats participated in a well balanced nutritional program combined, or not, with physical activity in order to treat their obesity. Investigations on density, trabecular micro-architecture, cortical quality, biomechanical properties and cellular parameters of bone tissue were performed on rat’s skeleton. Obesity had improved the bone density and cortical parameters of rats. Obesity management had induced mixed effects. The well balanced diet did alter neither the bone density nor biomechanical and cortical parameters despite the presence of alterations in the trabecular micro architecture and some disturbances of bone cellular activity. Exercise by itself had increased the tibia bone mineral density. Our results show that including exercise in obesity management allows increasing the fat mass loss and maintaining the skeleton integrity. By studying the impact of an obesogenic diet and obesity treatment on bone tissue in rats, this study brings its contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms linking adipose tissue and bone tissue

Mechanically Driven Counter‐Regulation of Cortical Bone Formation in Response to Sclerostin‐Neutralizing Antibodies

Sclerostin (Scl) antibodies (Scl-Ab) potently stimulate bone formation, but these effects are transient. Whether the rapid inhibition of Scl-Ab anabolic effects is due to a loss of bone cells' capacity to form new bone or to a mechanostatic downregulation of Wnt signaling once bone strength exceeds stress remains unclear. We hypothesized that bone formation under Scl-Ab could be reactivated by increasing the dose of Scl-Ab and/or by adding mechanical stimuli, and investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in this response, in particular the role of periostin (Postn), a co-activator of the Wnt pathway in bone. For this purpose, C57Bl/6, Postn-/- and Postn+/+ mice were treated with vehicle or Scl-Ab (50 to 100 mg/kg/wk) for various durations and subsequently subjected to tibia axial compressive loading. In wild-type (WT) mice, Scl-Ab anabolic effects peaked between 2 and 4 weeks and declined thereafter, with no further increase in bone volume and strength between 7 and 10 weeks. Doubling the dose of Scl-Ab did not rescue the decline in bone formation. In contrast, mechanical stimulation was able to restore cortical bone formation concomitantly to Scl-Ab treatment at both doses. Several Wnt inhibitors, including Dkk1, Sost, and Twist1, were upregulated, whereas Postn was markedly downregulated by 2 to 4 weeks of Scl-Ab. Mechanical loading specifically upregulated Postn gene expression. In turn, Scl-Ab effects on cortical bone were more rapidly downregulated in Postn-/- mice. These results indicate that bone formation is not exhausted by Scl-Ab but inhibited by a mechanically driven downregulation of Wnt signaling. Hence, increasing mechanical loads restores bone formation on cortical surfaces, in parallel with Postn upregulation

Alternated activation with relaxation of periosteum stimulates bone modeling and remodeling.

Gradual elevation of the periosteum from the original bone surface, based on the principle of distraction osteogenesis, induces endogenous hard and soft tissue formation. This study aimed to assess the impact of alternating protocols of activation with relaxation (periosteal pumping) on bone modeling and remodeling. One hundred and sixty-two adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. Four test groups with different pumping protocols were created based on the relaxation applied. Two control groups underwent an activation period without relaxation or only a single activation. One group was sham-operated. Periosteal pumping without period of activation induced gene expression in bone and bone remodeling, and following activation period enhanced bone modeling. Four test groups and control group with activation period equaled the values of bone modeling at the end-consolidation period, showing significant downregulation of Sost in the bone and periosteum compared to that in the sham group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). When all test groups were pooled together, plate elevation from the bony surface increased bone remodeling on day 45 of the observation period (p = 0.003). Furthermore, bone modeling was significantly affected by plate elevation on days 17 and 45 (p = 0.047 and p = 0.005, respectively) and by pumping protocol on day 31 (p = 0.042). Periosteal pumping was beneficial for increasing bone repair when the periosteum remained in contact with the underlaying bony surface during the manipulation period. Following periosteal elevation, periosteal pumping accelerated bone formation from the bony surface by the modeling process

Influence of Fatigue Loading and Bone Turnover on Bone Strength and Pattern of Experimental Fractures of the Tibia in Mice

Bone fragility depends on bone mass, structure, and material properties, including damage. The relationship between bone turnover, fatigue damage, and the pattern and location of fractures, however, remains poorly understood. We examined these factors and their integrated effects on fracture strength and patterns in tibia. Adult male mice received RANKL (2 mg/kg/day), OPG-Fc (5 mg/kg 29/week), or vehicle (Veh) 2 days prior to fatigue loading of one tibia by in vivo axial compression, with treatments continuing up to 28 more days. One day post fatigue, crack density was similarly increased in fatigued tibiae from all treatment groups. After 28 days, the RANKL group exhibited reduced bone mass and increased crack density, resulting in reduced bone strength, while the OPG-Fc group had greater bone mass and bone strength. Injury repair altered the pattern and location of fractures created by ex vivo destructive testing, with fractures occurring more proximally and obliquely relative to non-fatigued tibia. A similar pattern was observed in both non-fatigued and fatigued tibia of RANKL. In contrast, OPG-Fc prevented this fatigue-related shift in fracture pattern by maintaining fractures more distal and transverse. Correlation analysis showed that bone strength was predominantly determined by aBMD with minor contributions from structure and intrinsic strength as measured by nanoindentation and cracks density. In contrast, fracture location was predicted equally by aBMD, crack density and intrinsic modulus. The data suggest that not only bone strength but also the fracture pattern depends on previous damage and the effects of bone turnover on bone mass and structure. These observations may be relevant to further understand the mechanisms contributing to fracture pattern in long bone with different levels of bone remodeling, including atypical femur fracture