Description
Promethion Core cage options, as part of the Promethion Core system, are designed to attain the most accurate and comprehensive metabolic and behavioral data available. Our cages provide measurement options for measuring metabolism, general movement, wheel running, resting, and ingestive behaviors. The cages are configurable for different experiments such as food or liquid preference studies, paired or yoked feeding studies, or high fat diet research. Specialized cages are available for behavioral phenotyping only as well as for pathogen free or gnotobiotic research. All cages for metabolic research use pull-mode ventilation that ensures animal safety and a unique manifold system that eliminates rodent position artifacts.
Mouse Cage
A common configuration for a metabolic and behavioral phenotyping cage (shown) includes the cage tub, air manifold, running wheel, and food, liquid and body mass measurement. It may also include a food or water access control door. Non-wheel running activity measurements can be acquired by BXYZ Total Activity Monitor.
Promethion Isocage for Mice
We equip the Promethion Isocage for Mice with a running wheel, food intake, water intake and body mass sensors without compromising system integrity. This cage can even be used for nonmetabolic studies in the Tecniplast Isocage rack. The biocontainment and bioexclusion cage is used for gnotobiotic or microbiome studies and includes 2-way HEPA filtration. It is also compatible with the BXYZ Total Activity Monitor.
Behavioral Mouse Cage
For behavioral phenotyping studies, our behavioral mouse cage enables comprehensive measurement of activity as well as performs ingestive behavior studies. It can also combine with analytical equipment such as telemetry systems. This lid is perforated so the cage does not require active ventilation.
Dual Access Mouse Cage
The Dual Access Mouse Cage enables liquid or food preference studies. Food access control enables paired or yoked experiments.
Rat Cage
The Rat Cage has the features and performance benefits of the standard mouse metabolic cage. The rat cages are interchangeable with the mouse cages in the Promethion Core system.
GRID Rat Cage
The Group-Housed Rat Cage measures intake events of individual rats. Designed for studies of liquid or food preference as well as food access control which enables pared and yoked experiments.
Beam Break Activity Monitor
The BXYZ Beam Break Activity Monitor enables real time analysis of total activity with a 0.25cm calculated centroid. Designed to be modular, the BXYZ can easily be used stand alone, or synchronized with metabolic measurement and other elements of the Promethion Core system. It ignores fixed objects, allowing flexibility to use standard or customized cages without interfering with activity monitoring. Using Promethion Live software, you’ll have real-time calculation of total distance traveled and speed of travel. Rearing information, and raw position versus time data are stored for other traceable, quantifiable analyses of activity level. For example, the position probability head map shown below (upon request Sable will provide the R Studio method to generate the heat map). The BXYZ is available in two versions – BXYZ-M for the mouse cage, and BXYZ-R for the rat cage. For labs using both mouse and rat cages, the larger BXYZ-R can be used interchangeably for either application.
Position probability map of a single mouse over several days of data collection. This map was produced in R Studio from Promethion Core data.
Wheel Activity Monitor
The wheel activity monitor incorporates a durable, stainless-steel wheel into the cage for 180- or 360-degree monitoring of voluntary wheel revolutions. Promethion Core monitors the running wheel and calculates distance travelled and speed of travel. The wheel data is synchronized with RQ, VO2, beam break activity, or any other parameter of the Promethion Core system. The wheel is designed not to restrict air flow around the wheel, ensuring the most accurate and repeatable calorimetry measurements. The programmable wheel stop enables you to control the movement of the wheel. When stopped, the wheel functions as an enrichment device.
Made of stainless steel, the wheel is autoclavable allowing the animal care facility to use existing cleaning and sterilizing systems reducing maintenance time and providing higher throughput for your system.
Unique to the Promethion Core high resolution metabolic and behavioral phenotyping systems, energy expenditures during running and resting periods are easily resolved and synchronized with changes in metabolism (See graphs below).
MM2 Load Cell
The MM2 load cell is a critical part of your Promethion food, water or body mass monitoring system. It provides 0.002 g resolution for the highest quality, most reliable results.
The Promethion universal MM2 Load Cell can be used with any Promethion mass measurement device allowing the customization of the enrichment device and flexibility of the location of the device within the cage. Customization ensures compatibility of the body mass monitor with different animal behaviors or animal strains such as ob/ob mice and rats, providing unmatched flexibility in experimental design.
Body Mass Monitor
Promethion body mass monitors are in-cage enrichment devices attached to a Promethion universal MM2 load cell. The body mass monitor allows the real time recording of body mass when the animal interacts with the device.
The real time data from the Promethion body mass monitor provides automated, voluntary weighing of the animal – up to 550 g – resulting in frequent measurements of body mass and no handling stress on the animal during weighing.
Ob/Ob Habitat
Promethion Core specialized ob/ob body mass monitor is an in-cage enrichment device attached to an MM2 load cell. It is specifically designed for larger mice.
Food Intake Monitor
Promethion Core food hoppers are attached to an MM2 load cell. The high-resolution load cell enables the real-time measurement of even micro-eating events (See figure). The flexibility of the Promethion Core cage means that more than one food hopper can be integrated. This enables applications such as food preference experiments. For standardization or paired studies, a programmable access control module is available (Access Control Door).
The food hopper is made of stainless steel and is autoclavable, allowing the animal care facility to use existing cleaning and sterilizing systems. This reduces cleaning time and experiment turnaround time. The built-in crumb catcher tray eliminates spilling and reduces caching behavior, providing more accurate and repeatable results. With up to 500 grams of food storage, the real time monitoring of food intake may be used for 20 days or more without interruption or re-filling.
The Promethion Core food intake monitoring system can be incorporated into existing cage systems allowing the use of standard cages and requiring no cage modifications reducing animal stress during acclimation.
Specialized food grills for High Fat (A), Easy Access (B) and Non-Caching (C) are included in each system that measures food intake.
Water Intake Monitor
The Promethion Core water bottles are attached to an MM2 load cell for real-time monitoring of liquid consumption. The flexibility of the Promethion Core cage means that more than one water bottle can be integrated. This enables applications such as liquid preference experiments. For standardization or paired studies, a programmable access control module is available (Access Control Door).
Many different water bottle sizes and shapes are permitted, allowing the use of existing cleaning, sterilizing, and filling supplies. With up to 500mL capacity, the water bottle may be used uninterrupted for up to 2 weeks.
The Promethion Core water intake monitoring system can be incorporated into existing cage systems allowing the use of standard cages and requiring no cage modifications reducing animal stress during acclimation. Customizable lids are available for a variety of standard cage types.
AC2 Access Control
The Promethion Core AC2 module controls the animal’s access to the food hopper and/or water bottle. It can be setup for paired access, yoked access, time and duration limited access, and quantity limited access, providing unmatched flexibility in experimental design.
Telemetry
Promethion Core couples with telemetry systems. Only Promethion Core has the resolution that enables correlation of metabolic data with the rapid signals produced by telemetry systems. Monitor heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, blood glucose or other telemetry variables and synchronize these data with Promethion Core’s high-resolution metabolic and phenotyping data for the most comprehensive analyses possible. (Shown above: continuous glucose monitoring with metabolic data.)
CC2 Cage Controller
The CC2 Cage Controller attaches to each home cage to connect cage components to the Promethion data collection and analysis system.
