In this study, Jung, Y.K., and colleagues demonstrated the potential of inflammatory cytokines-neutralizing antibodies to protect against sarcopenia—the loss of muscle mass and function—which affects approximately 40 % of people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic gastrointestinal tract disorders.
iNSiGHT. Image Credit: Scintica Instrumentation Inc.
By utilizing the established dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine model of colitis—an effective method to recapitulate sarcopenia—the researchers demonstrated that treatment with Interleukin-12/23 (IL-12/23) p40 neutralizing antibodies significantly reduced muscle mass loss.
This was evidenced by increased lean tissue mass and larger fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscle fibers on histology in the treated cohort.
Treated mice also showed markedly improved muscle function, as measured by forelimb grip strength and reduced fatigue during distance running, compared to IgG-treated controls.
The iNSiGHT D(E)XA system was used in this study to quickly and noninvasively monitor body composition, including bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm2), fat tissue mass (g), and lean tissue mass (g). The system also demonstrated the following:
i) A loss of lean and fat tissue mass following daily oral DSS administration, confirming DSS-treated mice as a robust model of colitis-associated sarcopenia.
ii) A partial recovery of lean tissue mass during neutralizing antibody treatment, supporting the recovery of total body weight (Figure 1).
Figure 1. A) Representative D(E)XA images captured on the iNSiGHT system in a mouse model of colitis treated with either IgG or IL-12/23 p40 antibody. B) Body mass index measurements ((bone mineral density (BMD in g/cm2), fat mass (g), lean mass (g), and total weight (g)) of mice treated with either IgG or IL-12/23 p40 antibodies. Image Credit: Scintica Instrumentation Inc.
To conclude, this research shows that IL-12/23 p40 neutralizing antibodies provide a protective effect while alleviating both muscle atrophy and loss of muscle function in a murine model of colitis.
The iNSiGHT D(E)XA system proves an effective and efficient imaging tool for monitoring treatment-induced alterations in body composition and helping accelerate the development of novel treatments for debilitating conditions such as sarcopenia.
References and further reading:
Jung, Y. et al. (2023). The protective effect of IL‐12/23 neutralizing antibody in sarcopenia associated with dextran sulfate sodium‐induced experimental colitis. Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle, 14(2), pp. 1096–1106. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13208.
About Scintica Instrumentation Inc.
Scintica Instrumentation Inc., a high value distributor of scientific medical equipment, was created as a joint venture between two companies, Indus Instruments and ONS Projects Inc., both with long standing experience in the medical device instrumentation field. Indus Instruments is an engineering and manufacturing company with excellence in designing and producing sophisticated products for both medical and other high-tech clients in aerospace, chemical and oil and gas industries. ONS Projects Inc. is a life science investment and marketing company built on the foundation of two other successful manufacturing companies in the laboratory instrumentation field,
The principals of the two companies each have more than 25 years of experience of manufacturing, selling and supporting scientists in their research around the world. Our team consists of scientists, applications experts, engineers and sales professionals from a cross section of backgrounds, who excel at simplifying transactions and ensuring that scientists have the best equipment for achieving research excellence.
At Scintica Instrumentation, we distribute for selected manufacturers from all over the world and represent them in multiple countries including the United States, Canada, and Europe, as well as in Asia through a network of authorized sub-distributors.
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