Dietary Intervention and Exercise Study
Objective: To compare effects of low-fat and high-fat diets combined with caloric restriction or voluntary exercise on physiological outcomes in a lifelong intervention trial in mice
This is a Dietary Intervention and Exercise Study protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 7 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 2 materials. Extracted from a 2013 paper published in Nature Communications.
Model and subjects
mouse • C57BL/6J • male • 5 weeks at start • 30
Study window
~141 week study window
Core workflow
Animal assignment and housing • Dietary intervention implementation • Fecal sample collection at 62 weeks
Primary readouts
- Fecal microbiota composition
- Serum LBP (Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein) levels
- Physiological outcomes related to diet and exercise interventions
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Animal assignment and housing
Male C57BL/6J mice at 5 weeks of age were randomly assigned to one of six groups with n=30 for each group and individually caged for a life-long trial
Note: Six experimental groups: (1) LFD, (2) LFD+CR, (3) LFD+Ex, (4) HFD, (5) HFD+CR, (6) HFD+Ex
View evidence from paper
“Male C57BL/6 J mice at 5 weeks of age were randomly assigned to one of the six groups (n=30 for each group) and individually caged for a life-long trial”
Dietary intervention implementation
Mice were assigned to either low-fat or high-fat diet groups, with some groups receiving 30% caloric restriction or voluntary running exercise
Note: CR = 30% caloric restriction; Ex = voluntary running exercise
View evidence from paper
“(1) low-fat diet with sedentary activity (LFD), (2) low-fat diet with 30% CR and sedentary activity (LFD+CR), (3) low-fat diet with voluntary running exercise (LFD+Ex), (4) high-fat diet with sedentary activity (HFD), (5) high-fat diet with 30% CR and sedentary activity (HFD+CR) and (6) high-fat diet with voluntary running exercise (HFD+Ex)”
Fecal sample collection at 62 weeks
Fresh fecal matter was collected from mice at 62 weeks of age
Note: Sample sizes: LFD n=21, LFD+CR n=29, LFD+Ex n=22, HFD n=28, HFD+CR n=29, HFD+Ex n=23
View evidence from paper
“Fresh faecal matter was collected from the above animal trial at 62 weeks (LFD, n=21; LFD+CR, n=29; LFD+Ex, n=22; HFD, n=28; HFD+CR, n=29; and HFD+Ex, n=23)”
Serum sample collection at 62 weeks
Eight randomly selected mice from each group were humanely euthanized for serum samples collection for LBP analysis
Note: Eight mice per group selected randomly
View evidence from paper
“At 62 weeks, eight randomly selected mice from each group were humanely euthanized for serum samples collection for LBP analysis”
Fecal sample collection at 83 weeks
Fresh fecal matter was collected from mice at 83 weeks of age
Note: Sample sizes: LFD n=16, LFD+CR n=22, LFD+Ex n=19, HFD n=12, HFD+CR n=14, HFD+Ex n=15
View evidence from paper
“Fresh faecal matter was collected from the above animal trial at 62 weeks... 83 weeks (LFD, n=16; LFD+CR, n=22; LFD+Ex, n=19; HFD, n=12; HFD+CR, n=14; and HFD+Ex, n=15)”
Fecal sample collection at 141 weeks
Fresh fecal matter was collected from mice at 141 weeks of age
Note: Sample sizes: LFD n=6, LFD+CR n=15, LFD+Ex n=6, HFD n=0, HFD+CR n=10, HFD+Ex n=1
View evidence from paper
“Fresh faecal matter was collected from the above animal trial at 62 weeks... 141 weeks (LFD, n=6; LFD+CR, n=15; LFD+Ex, n=6; HFD, n=0; HFD+CR, n=10; and HFD+Ex, n=1)”
Sample storage
All fecal samples were stored at -80°C until analysis
Note: Long-term storage for subsequent analysis
View evidence from paper
“All the faecal samples were stored at −80°C until analysis”