Clean the treadmill with 70% ethanol solution, and wipe and air dry it before every session.
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The treadmill is a popular exercise system used to force-train rodents. Our Rodent Metabolic Treadmill is a variation of the Classic Treadmill that comes with multiple features, including Easy sloping, easy-grip belt, low noise, Conductor integration, rich data collection, and an easy-to-protocolize treadmill for activity experiments, with a Metabolism System.
The Rodent Metabolic Treadmill device is a single-lane treadmill designed for metabolic measurement in rodents. Measurable parameters include O₂ and CO₂ consumption per unit time, respiratory entropy (RQ), respiratory exchange rate (RER), metabolic rate, and energy consumption.
Our Rodent Metabolic Treadmill device treadmill is constructed using aluminum and acrylic. The runway is made of a textured belt that facilitates animal grip. The speed of the lane can be varied between 0 to 80 meters per minute with acceleration increments of 0.1 meters/minute. The runway incline can be varied between 0 to 25 degrees. The device comes with associated software to control and configure the experiment.
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The Rodent Metabolic Treadmill is a single-lane treadmill used for the metabolic measurements of rodents. It consists of a textured running belt enclosed within a chamber constructed of acrylic and aluminum. The chamber also includes a shock grid, which serves as an aversive stimulus to motivate exercise. It is available in two sizes, smaller size for mice and a larger size for rats.
The Rodent Metabolic Treadmill utilizes a forced training model in which rodents are removed from their home cages and forced to run on the treadmill. This allows measurements of the rodents’ speed, distance, and endurance in acute and chronic stress training conditions, which can be used for metabolic and cardiovascular research. Rodents can be tasked to perform moderate or high-intensity training by adjusting the speed, duration, and inclination of the treadmill according to the experiment’s need. The treadmill’s speed can be adjusted between 0 to 80 meters per minute with acceleration increments of 0.1 meters/minute. Moreover, the incline of the runway can be set between 0 to 25 degrees.
The Rodent Metabolic Treadmill can be used as a model to assess exercise behaviors in humans, including activity level, VO2max, and exercise endurance. These parameters can be used to examine regulatory processes associated with exercise. Studies have utilized rodent treadmill running to assess cardiomyopathy, in which treadmill running improved oxidative parameters in rodents with cardiomyopathy (Kim & Hwang, 2015). Moreover, the effects of treadmill exercise were also investigated in studies to assess oxidative damage in the hippocampus, in which facilitated cognitive improvement (Cechetti et al., 2012).
The Motorized Running Wheel and the Positioning Running Wheel are apparatuses also used for exercise training. Other apparatuses that are used for the assessment of motor and locomotion functions include the Rotarod, the Grid Test, the Gait Test, and the Parallel Rod Test. (For more motor assessment apparatuses click here.)
Independent Lane Control: Each lane can counted separately.
Ultra Quiet: Noise is less than 40 db
Speed: 0-80 meters per minute
Acceleration: Adjustable acceleration in 0.1 meter/minute increments
Slope: 0 to 25 degrees
Single Belt texture facilitates animal grip
Single-phase power system
A shock grid can be optionally inserted and can be controlled with our conductor software.
Shock intensity is adjustable and can be correlated to LED lamp to allow mice and rats to learn when the shock grid is active.
Design of shock grid carefully designed to avoid injuries to animals.
The grid can be removed for easy cleaning
163V, adjustable.
Adjustable, 1Hz, 2Hz, or 3Hz repetition rate
0 – 4mA adjustable in 0.1mA units
O₂ and CO₂ consumption per unit time, accuracy 1ml
Respiratory entropy (RQ), respiratory exchange rate (RER)
Energy consumption
Metabolic rate (MR)
Temperature, accuracy 0.1℃; humidity accuracy ±1% RH; air pressure, accuracy 0.075%
Display distance traveled
Display shock on/off
Manually start / stop switch of electrical stimulus system per lane
Manually start / stop of treadmill per lane
Manually adjust the slope
Tough Aluminum alloy frame
Clear acrylic walls
Slope degree of ±35°
A small portable unit, solid case with handle, with maximum portability can be used on-site under various complex field environmental conditions.
New control unit with integrated touchscreen GUI that simultaneously displays oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor pressure, atmospheric pressure, humidity in real-time.
Pump flow 1-1000 ml per minute, adjustable
Operating temperature 5-40°C, storage -20-60°C
Operating humidity 0-95%
Lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (24v10AH) can be used in field experiments for at least 8 hours.
Store a large data set and easy to export data with USB drive. Import to CSV. file.
Can run experiments online or offline. The offline data can be exported to software on PC for further analysis,
Fully integrated with Maze Engineers Metabolic Treadmill.
Applicable to mice and rats
Air puff accessory for aversive stimuli also available upon request
A treadmill harness frame for motor testing and additional support is available upon request
The metabolic treadmill apparatus is constructed using aluminum and acrylic and is enclosed for effective metabolic data collection. Measurable parameters include O₂ and CO₂ consumption per unit time, respiratory entropy (RQ), respiratory exchange rate (RER), metabolic rate, and energy consumption. It is available as a single-lane system. The runway is made of a textured belt that facilitates animal grip. The speed of the lane can be varied between 0 to 80 meters per minute with acceleration increments of 0.1 meters/minute. The runway incline can be varied between 0 to 25 degrees. Each lane is equipped with a removable 12 x 6 cm shock grid that allows 0 to 4 mA electric shocks (adjustable in 0.1mA) and repetition rates of 1Hz, 2Hz, or 3Hz. An LED accompanies the shock grid to allow the subject to know when the shock grid is ON or OFF. Additionally, air puffs can also be added to the apparatus as an aversive stimulus. The treadmill comes with associated software to control different variables of the apparatus.
Clean the treadmill apparatus before and after use with each subject to prevent any lingering stimuli from influencing the subject performance. Ensure that the apparatus is appropriately lit, and the task is performed in an undisturbed environment to minimize the influence of any external stimuli on the performance. Tracking and recording of the performances can be done with the assistance of an external tracking and video system such as the Noldus EthoVision XT or ANY-Maze.
Clean the treadmill with 70% ethanol solution, and wipe and air dry it before every session.
Allow the subject to acclimate to the treadmill by allowing it to sit on it for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes have elapsed, set the treadmill’s speed at 16 m/min. Increase the speed by 4 m/min every 3 minutes until a maximum speed of 40 m/min is reached. If the subject is still running at the maximum speed, increase the speed by 5% every 3 minutes. End the task when the subject sits on the shock grid for 5 seconds or 36 minutes, 40 m/min, and 15% grade have elapsed.
Divide the subjects into runner and sedentary groups and feed both groups a high-fat diet.
Subject the runner group to 30 minutes of treadmill running at a speed of 5 m/min and an inclination of 10% for 30 minutes a day, five times a week for 26 weeks. Subject the sedentary group to running only during exercise exhaustion tests. Conduct exhaustion tests with the treadmill inclined 25% uphill. Place the subject on the treadmill and allow it to run for 14 m/min for 6 minutes. Increase the speed by 2 m/min every 2 min until the subject is exhausted, characterized by the inability to return to running within 10 seconds after contact with the shock grid. Conduct exhaustion tests only at weeks 0 and 25 of the study.
The Rodent Metabolic Treadmill is used as a force-training model of exercise, which is used to analyze rodents’ endurance. It is equipped with a running belt that is textured, which helps facilitate the rodent’s grip while running. In addition, parameters such as speed, inclination, and running duration can be set on the treadmill according to experimental needs. The speed can be adjusted between 1-100 meters/minute with adjustable acceleration in 0.1 meter/minute increments, and the incline of the runway can be set between 0 to 25 degrees. The treadmill chamber also includes a shock grid as an aversive stimulus to motivate the rodents to run. The shock grid’s current can also be adjusted between 0.005 – 4 mA/. The Rodent Metabolic Treadmill can be used in studies that investigate the effect of exercise on various components, including oxidative stress, diet, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. The treadmill is available in two sizes, allowing experimenters to choose a model that fits the rodent they’re studying.
In studies involving pregnant rodents, the shock grid should not be used since it may be too aversive. Instead, tail touching should be used to motivate pregnant rodents to run. The same rodent strain and age should be utilized for reproducible studies since it can affect experimental results. Moreover, differences in the running speed, inclination/declination of the treadmill, and duration of running between experiments can also affect results. Therefore, all parameters should be considered closely to create a consistent animal model using the Rodent Metabolic Treadmill.
The following observations can be made using the treadmill apparatus:
Running time
Distance traveled
Maximum speed reached
Number of aversive stimulations
Average position on the runway
Time to fatigue/exhaustion
The following observations can be made using the metabolic measurement system:
Marcaletti et al., (2011) recommend a group size of 10 to 12 animals to enable sufficient statistical power.
| Weight | 50 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 80 × 75 × 45 cm |
| Device Type | 1 lane |
| Size | Mouse, Rat |
DISCLAIMER: ConductScience and affiliate products are NOT designed for human consumption, testing, or clinical utilization. They are designed for pre-clinical utilization only. Customers purchasing apparatus for the purposes of scientific research or veterinary care affirm adherence to applicable regulatory bodies for the country in which their research or care is conducted.
