# Instrumentation for Noninvasive Measurement of Glucose and Energy Balance in Mice with Continuous Glucose Telemetry and Indirect Calorimetry

> **NIH NIH S10** · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $737,103

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The study of obesity and metabolism in mammals requires an understanding of processes affecting rates of
energy intake and energy expenditure—including information about the energy available for cellular use. This
application requests funds to bring next-generation technology capable of measuring all these metabolic factors
simultaneously in vivo in unrestrained, conscious, freely moving mice. The Sable Systems’ Promethion is an
indirect calorimeter yielding frequent quantitative measurements of oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide
production (VCO2), body weight, and body temperature. From these measurements, we can calculate the
respiratory exchange ratio - an indicator of fat or carbohydrate utilization. The indirect calorimeter also provides
measures of locomotor activity, caloric food intake and water volume consumed. When integrated, indirect
calorimetry provides comprehensive information about the energy balance—energy taken in minus energy
consumed. Energy balance is critical as it predicts weight gain or weight loss. The DSI HD-XG system measures
continuous glucose telemetry that will for the first time allow second-by-second measurement of the amount of
energy (glucose) available for cellular metabolism in mice. These glucose data are collected from animals while
simultaneously recording metabolic data within the Promethion indirect calorimeter. The ability to combine
information about glucose levels with feeding data and metabolic rate will be transformative in our understanding
of metabolic regulation in vivo. This instrumentation will replace a highly utilized first-generation CLAMS indirect
calorimeter, with a cage design incompatible with the proposed DSI glucose telemetry system. The proposed
system will permit monitoring of up to 24 mice per experiment with greater sensitivity, precision, and frequency.
This new system will allow for studies of thermogenesis by tight control of cage temperature, and monitoring of
core body temperature and glucose simultaneously, key factors affecting metabolic rate. The proposed
instrumentation will support user groups investigating the control of neural circuits controlling food intake, effects
of the microbiome on host metabolism, and factors capable of elevating metabolic rate. Many of these projects
aim to capture rapidly-changing processes using optogenetics, chemogenetics, or acute environmental changes
to trigger physiological responses that are missed by the slow rate of data collection and lack of sensitivity of our
current apparatus. Because indirect calorimetry is an absolutely essential technology for the understanding of
mouse metabolism, the proposed instrumentation will fulfill a critical need and increase research productivity.
This instrumentation will support modern techniques of genetic and pharmacologic interrogation of factors
controlling glucose and energy balance. The proposed apparatus will markedly accelerate research and
discovery, particularly in comm...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9939783
- **Project number:** 1S10OD028635-01
- **Recipient organization:** BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** ALEXANDER BANKS
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $737,103
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-04-15 → 2022-04-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9939783

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9939783, Instrumentation for Noninvasive Measurement of Glucose and Energy Balance in Mice with Continuous Glucose Telemetry and Indirect Calorimetry (1S10OD028635-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9939783. Licensed CC0.

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