Metabolism Core

The Metabolism Core conducts specialized and non-invasive metabolic experiments to measure insulin sensitivity, glucose/lipid/protein metabolism, pancreatic β-cell function, body composition and energy balance. Most experiments are performed under physiological state and in conscious mice. The Core services include:

• Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp to assess insulin action in conscious mice (method)
• Glucose, lipid and protein metabolism in individual organs using radioactive-labeled metabolites in conscious mice (method)
• Hyperglycemic clamp to assess insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell function (method)
• Glucose and insulin tolerance tests (method)
• Survival surgery of jugular vein cannulation for in vivo experiments (method)
• Chronic and acute induction of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes using high-fat diet, lipid infusion, streptozotocin injection and phloridzin treatment (method)
• Implementation of osmotic pumps or subcutaneous injection for chronic administration of drugs (drug trial study) (method)
• Non-invasive measurement of food/water intake, energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratio and physical activity using the metabolic cages (method)
• Non-invasive assessment of whole body and tissue composition of fat/lean/water mass using ¹H-MRS (method)
• Application of in-house cage wheel for exercise studies

DIRECTOR Jason K. Kim, Ph.D. Professor of Molecular Medicine Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes 508-856-6840 (phone) 508-856-4177 (fax) jason.kim@umassmed.edu
CO-DIRECTOR Dae Young Jung, Ph.D. Instructor of Molecular Medicine 508-856-8785 (phone) daeyoung.jung@umassmed.edu
ADDRESS: University of Massachusetts Medical School 368 Plantation Street The Albert Sherman Center 9th Floor, Room 1015 Worcester, MA 01605