DEXA Body Composition Scan
Discover how Melior’s unique phenotypic screening platforms can uncover the untapped value of your candidate therapeutic
Obesity is a condition of pandemic proportions in the modern world. A myriad of conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, cancer, and even depression have been linked to obesity (Bloom SR, 2008).
Research into the mechanisms and treatment of obesity is an ongoing area of interest to many in the pharmaceutical and academic communities. Animal models have proven useful in studying the effects of compounds on diet-induced obesity (DIO) (Hildebrand AL, 2003; Levin BE, 2000).
Dual-energy Xray absorptiometry (DEXA) is an instrument that uses X-rays with different wavelengths to quantitate a number of parameters associated with overall body composition such as bone mineral density, bone mass, lean tissue mass, fat tissue mass, and others.
In this study we used a high-fat diet induced obesity mouse model to illustrate the use of DEXA. Fat mass (adipose tissue) and lean mass (largely muscle) were assessed using DEXA in both standard and high-fat diet fed mice. At Melior, this assay serves as a platform for a number of additional acute and chronic disorders consistent with diet-induced obesity changes in humans.
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CD-1 male mice were fed either a high fat diet or standard diet for 28 days. DEXA scans performed upon termination of study. Mice on High Fat Diet showed elevated fat mass compared to standard diet fed mice, yet there was no significant difference in lean mass between groups. Data are ± SEM; *p<0.05 (N=8).
Frequently Asked Questions
DEXA scan is typically used for detecting the changes of body composition (fat vs lean) and BMD (for bone health study).
The DEXA body composition assay can be conducted as a survival procedure (with anesthesia required) or terminal procedure.
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses two low-energy X-ray beams to differentiate and quantify lean mass, fat mass, and bone mineral density in a single scan. In preclinical research, DEXA is widely used to longitudinally monitor body composition changes in metabolic disease models, providing a precise, reproducible alternative to terminal tissue dissection.
DEXA is considered one of the most accurate non-invasive methods for body composition assessment in rodents, with strong correlation to chemical carcass analysis — the gold standard. Accuracy is influenced by instrument calibration, animal positioning, hydration status, and anesthesia protocol. When performed under standardized conditions, DEXA provides highly reproducible measurements with low intra- and inter-scan variability, making it well-suited for detecting treatment-related changes in longitudinal study designs.
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