SOW _NIHES2015054_Body_Composition_RatMice_Analyzer.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

BODY MASS COMPOSITION ANALYZER

NATIONAL TOXICOLOGY PROGRAM LABORATORY

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), located in the Research

Triangle Park, North Carolina, is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers composing the National Institutes of Health. The

NIEHS is home to the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a Health & Human Services (HHS) interagency program dedicated to testing and evaluating substances in our environment. The National Toxicology Program Laboratory

(NTPL) exists within the Division of the NTP to provide state-of-the-art laboratory research support that complements and extends the NTP’s scientific capabilities and contributes to the identification and understanding of potential health related issues related to environmental/chemical exposures.

The goals of the NTPL are:

To provide leadership and on-site laboratory support to NTP project teams for exploratory, ancillary, and mechanistic studies on agents and issues critical to NTP;

To develop and apply new and novel approaches for understanding the toxicological and biological effects of agents and specific research areas critical to NTP; and

To enhance the NTP’s ability to respond with a strong scientific approach to public health challenges in a timely manner.

Obesity is currently one of the most prevalent and costly health epidemics in the United States, and affects both children and adults. Obesity may be an underlying component for a large number of adverse health outcomes, such as heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic disorders. In our mission to uphold the vision of the National Toxicology

Program and to support the evolution of toxicology from a predominantly observational science at the level of disease-specific models to a predominantly predictive science focused upon a broad inclusion of target-specific, mechanism-based, biological observations, a number of NTP investigators are working as a team to test the predictive nature of the Tox21 cell-based assay data on “obesity”. In this specific situation, the team is using signal transduction data from Tox21 and testing it both in cell cultures models and, once the list of potential “obesogens” is narrowed down, in animals – specifically rats, as they are the chosen model system typically tested in the NTP guideline studies. Literature has it that body weight is not an accurate indicator of obesity in people or animals and weighing fat depots has a high degree of technical error and variability associated with it. The NIEHS requires a piece of equipment in order to properly conduct these important studies. Currently in the NIEHS, there is no capacity to evaluate body composition of rats. A Piximus machine is owned and is currently being used specifically on mice, and it is incompatible with larger rodents. The NIEHS needs equipment that will allow themto determine the body mass composition, weight, length, and fat percentage in an animal system relevant to the test species used by the

NTP in their guideline studies. In order to meet the needs of the large studies proposed by the team investigating obesity, the equipment is needed in place at the NIEHS no later than August 7th, 2015.

OBJECTIVES: The NTPL will be testing the predictive nature of the Tox21 cell-based assay data on “obesity”. In this specific situation, we are using signal transduction data from Tox21 and testing it both in cell cultures models and, once the list of potential “obesogens” is narrowed down, in animals – specifically rats, as they are the chosen model system typically tested in the NTP guideline studies. The literature shows that body weight is not an accurate indicator of obesity in people or animals and that weighing fat depots has a high degree of technical error and variability associated with it.

Therefore, we require an instrument that will allow us to accurately determine the body mass composition, weight, length, and fat percentage in an animal system relevant to the test species used in NTP guideline studies. Specific requirements of the body mass composition analyzer:

The instrument must be capable of being stored on a moveable cart; this allows for mobility for both use and storage.

Utilizes NMR/MRI technology allowing for rapid, non-destructive, and non-lethal methods for evaluating the progressive body composition changes that are expected following chronic exposure to obesogen-type chemicals.

Has rat and mouse holders that will adequately hold the largest and smallest animals in the proposed studies; height adjustment plunger will control for variable animal length.

Has balance that is accurate up to 10 mg in weight.

Allows for temperature control.

An instrument of proven reliability; investigators at US EPA currently use this model and they have had excellent function and longevity.

The instrument must be able to fit on a cart with wheels no larger than 20” x 30”.

SCOPE OF WORK: The Contractor shall perform the following tasks:

Delivery

Installation

On-site training

One year warranty

DELIVERY LOCATION: National Toxicology Program Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences, Building 101, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709