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Title: Quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) measurement of changes in body composition of neonatal pigs

Author
item Mitchell, Alva
item Ramsay, Timothy
item TAICHER, G - Echo Medical Systems
item KOVNER, I - Echo Medical Systems

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/2010
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: n/a

Technical Abstract: The survival of low birth weight pigs in particular may depend on energy stores in the body. QMR is an NMR approach to measuring total body fat, lean and water. These measurements are based on quantifying protons associated with lipid and water molecules in the body. Since QMR is very rapid and does not require that the pig be anesthetized, these measurements can be made without interfering with the pig’s growth. In the calibration and validation phases of this study 50 pigs were scanned by QMR and the results were compared with those obtained by DXA and chemical analysis. The next phase involved the use of QMR to sequentially measure changes in the body composition of piglets during growth from birth to approximately 4 kg BWT. The results show that QMR can provide both accurate and precise measurement of total body fat, lean and water and can be used to measure the rates of fat and lean deposition in the live pig.