• Skip to main content
  • Skip to main content
Choose which site to search.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Logo University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Department of Pediatrics: Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Research
  • UAMS Health
  • Jobs
  • Giving
  • Clinical Research Core
    • More Information on the Clinical Research Core
    • Clinical Nutrition Research
  • Physical Activity and Metabolism Core
    • The Laboratory for Active Kids and Families
    • The Fitness Facility
    • The Physical Activity, Energetics and Metabolism (PAEM) Research Group
  • Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core
  • Biostatistics and Data Innovation Core
  • Metabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Core
    • Untargeted Metabolomics
    • Untargeted Lipidomics
  • Histology and Bioimaging Core
  • Brain Research Cores
  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. College of Medicine
  3. Department of Pediatrics
  4. Research
  5. Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
  6. Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Research
  7. Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core

Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core

Overview

The Arkansas Children’s Research Institute has a state-of-the-art 35,000 square-foot animal facility, accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care and overseen by board-certified veterinarians. The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core operates within a dedicated wing of ~6,200 square feet, managed by Mr. James Sikes who leads a team of three full-time, highly trained personnel trained in all aspects of animal husbandry and health, surgery, glucose and insulin tolerance tests, and other specialized techniques.

The goal of the Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core is to support translational preclinical research at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center by providing users with access to state-of-the-art equipment and scientific expertise.

Cutting-edge, Specialized Equipment

The Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core utilizes state-of-the-art instrumentation to collect detailed physiological data for our animal researchers.

large 16 unit promethion cabinet is open

Monitoring Energy Expenditure

Two state-of-the-art Promethion Systems perform 24-h metabolic assessments of energy expenditure via indirect calorimetry, food/water-intake, core temperature and activity.

The Only One in Arkansas

Both Promethion systems, (able to run up to 32 mice simultaneously) are housed within temperature-controlled chambers, also available for long-term temperature control studies.

compositional images of bone in both white and green of mice, fish and birds using the DXA scanner

Assessment of Body Composition

Both Nuclear magnetic resonance (Echo MRI) as well as Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are available to assess body composition.

stable isotope analyzer

Stable Isotope Gas Analyzer

The Stable Isotope Analyzer measures the oxidation of exogenous nutrients such as Carbon 13 and Oxygen 18 in exhaled breath.

AALAC-certified and USDA-registered

This AALAC-certified vivarium is registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has a fully approved Letter of Assurance on file with the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center requires animal certification of all staff using the facility. In addition to rounds and on call availability, the veterinarians provide consultation concerning animal care and housing, surgical procedures, and in the development of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols. The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center Rodent Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping Core staff are trained in all aspects of executing animal experiments, including ordering animals, tracking animals (using subcutaneous microchips, ear-tags, etc.), maintaining breeding colonies, performing serial in vivo assessments (body composition analysis, indirect calorimetry, glucose tolerance tests, etc.), and collection and banking of tissues.

UAMS College of Medicine LogoUAMS College of MedicineUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

© 2023 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences