IN THE NEWS 2008

BioDAQ Introduces Metabolic Cage Adapter
January 1, 2008

The BioDAQ Food & Water Intake Monitor can now be adapted to metabolic cages commonly used in many animal facilities. BioDAQ hardware can be mounted to this cage style using a stainless steel bracket. BioDAQ food and water intake modules can then be attached
to the cage as Unplugged or electronic units.

BioDAQ adds value to data generated by permitting the use of pelleted diet formulations and reducing the spillage of both food and water that traditionally confound data collected using these cages.

The adaptation of BioDAQ food and water intake modules for use with metabolic cages adds flexibility to existing systems allowing BioDAQ to be used in a wide range of studies. > more

BioDAQ Introduces Water Intake Module
January 1, 2008

The BioDAQ Water Intake Module collects bout-by-bout, moment to moment water intake data.  Our water intake module works with the same technology developed for food intake product making possible to record and analyze both food and water intake for singly housed rats and mice at very high resolution.  Data collection is initiated by the animal being studied allowing episodic data to be collected and analyzed to study the constituent behavior that makes up the larger patterns of food and water intake. 

IN THE NEWS 2007

Matthew Ricci, Ph.D. Presents at Charles River Laboratories 21st Annual Short Course
June 21, 2007

Matthew R. Ricci, Ph.D. Vice-President, Science Director for Research Diets, Inc. was a guest speaker at Charles River Laboratories Short Course. The presentation described the type of diets available to the research community, the advantages and disadvantages of each and how different diet formulations can induce metabolic disease in various animal models. Examples included high-fat diets for the induction of obesity, insulin, resistance, inflammation and fatty liver as well as high sucrose/fructose diets to elevate triglycerides and induce insulin resistance.

Matthew Ricci, Ph.D. Speaks at Charles River Laboratories Symposium on Animal Models of Metabolic Disease & Complications
June 8, 2007

Matthew R. Ricci, Ph.D. Vice-President, Science Director for Research Diets, Inc. was a featured speaker at Charles River Laboratories Symposium. The talk titled Diet-Induced Metabolic Disease in Laboratory Animals discussed how different diet formulations can induce metabolic disease in various animal models. Examples included high-fat diets for the induction of obesity, insulin, resistance, inflammation and fatty liver as well as high sucrose/fructose diets to elevate triglycerides and induce insulin resistance. Data was presented to make the case that in addition to the level of fat, the source of the fat can also have significant effects on the phenotype of the animal.

Research Diets Own Mike Pellizzon, Ph. D. Gets Published ... Again!
April 1, 2007

Michael A. Pellizzon, Ph.D. Project Manager and Scientist for Research Diets, Inc. was
published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition. (Michael A. Pellizzon, PhD, Jeffery T.
Billheimer, PhD, LeAnne T. Bloedon, MS, RD, Philippe O. Szapary, MD, and Daniel J. Rader,
MD. Flaxseed Reduces Plasma Cholesterol Levels in Hypercholesterolemic Mouse Models.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 26, No. 1, 66–75, 2007)

The paper is titled: Flaxseed Reduces Plasma Cholesterol Levels in
Hypercholesterolemic Mouse Models. From the Abstract: We examined the effects of whole
ground flaxseed added to a Western diet on plasma and hepatic lipids and hepatic gene
expression in male and female human apolipoprotein B-100 transgenic (hApoBtg) mice which
have a plasma lipid profile more closely resembling man than wild type mice and in mice
lacking the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) and apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme
complex 1 (LDLr _ / _ /apobec _ / _ ).

Congratulations to Mike!

Lorene Leiter, Ph.D. Joins Research Diets Resource Center
February 1, 2007

Lorene Leiter has joined the Research Diets Resource Center as Project Manager and Scientist. Lorene earned her B.A. in anthropology at the University of Massachusetts , and her M.S. and Ph.D. in nutrition from Rutgers University in New Jersey where she researched the effect of manganese deficiency on urea cycle capacity in rats (M.S.) and the role of dietary iron in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythmatosus (Ph.D.). She then completed two post-doctoral fellowships at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston where she studied cell cycle regulation and diseases of iron metabolism in various cell models. Just before joining Research Diets, Lorene was a mouse behavior specialist at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT in Cambridge . Lorene's diverse background provides her with a unique perspective when consulting with our customers.

BioDAQ ® Unplugged Simplifies Periodic Food Intake Measurements
January 5, 2007

The BioDAQ Unplugged food intake monitor is ideally suited for rat and mouse studies where periodic weighings ( hourly, daily, weekly ) are sufficient. The simple home cage design affords ease of use, accurate food intake measurements and is easily upgraded to an electronic BioDAQ system. Gated food hoppers mount outside the home cage for ease of use. Simply lift the hopper off the cage mount to weigh the contents on a scale. The unique hopper design allows for minimal food spillage and hoarding of pelleted diets. A tray at the bottom of the hopper captures crumbs to ensure more accurate measurement of food intake. Specially modified plastic shoebox style cages minimize stress on singly housed animals and shorten the instrument acclimation period. Cages available for both rat and mouse. Compared to other methods, the weighing process is simplified. The gate closes easily to block feeding access. The hopper is removed and placed on a scale for quick, accurate weighing. The quick release mounting system removes easily for cage wash. Contact Research Diets, Inc. at biodaq@researchdiets.com to learn more.

IN THE NEWS 2006

The "Original" High Fat Diet Celebrates 10 Years of Success
June 6, 2006

In 1996, a regular customer of Research Diets, Inc. approached Dr. Ulman to help formulate an
OpenSource Diet to use in a Diet Induced Obesity (DIO) mouse model. The group required a
diet with a defined, flexible formulation containing 45 kcal% fat, predominantly lard, and the
product needed to be a solid pellet in order to conduct food intake studies. Research Diets, Inc.
submitted several preliminary formulas for discussion, and the group settled on D12451 (HFD)
and its' control OpenSource Diet, D12450 (LFD).

D12451 not only generated the hypothesized phenotype in its first study, it also helped the
investigators discover, research, and describe the leptin resistance phenomenon. The results of
this initial study, and the description of the use of these two diets are presented in the paper by
4 Van Heek et al (1997), “Diet induced obese mice develop peripheral, but not central resistance
to leptin”.

Research Diets, Inc. Introduces Purified-Ingredient OpenSource Diets™
January 23, 2006

Research Diets, Inc. has redefined purified-ingredient lab animal diets with the introduction of OpenSource Diets™. Unlike grain-based chows, OpenSource Diet formulas can be reported, repeated and revised again and again. Since each nutrient is supplied by a separate purified ingredient the researcher can control the composition of this crucial reagent in their experiments. OpenSource Diet formulas are open meaning that they are published and available to the scientific community. Contact Research Diets, Inc. at info @researchdiets.com to learn more.

Research Diets Own Michael A. Pellizzon Gets Published
January 5, 2006

Michael A. Pellizzon, Ph.D. Project Manager and Scientist for Research Diets, Inc. was
published in Obesity Research (Dixon , L. Beth, Michael A. Pellizzon, Abbas F. Jawad, and
Andrew M. Tershakovec. Calcium and dairy intake and measures of obesity in hyper and
normocholesterolemic children. Obes Res. 2005;13:1727–1738.)

The paper is titled: Calcium and dairy intake and measures of obesity in hyper and
normocholesterolemic children. From the Abstract: Calcium intake has been inversely
associated with body weight and body fatness in adults and, to a lesser extent, in children.
Dairy intake has been inversely associated with metabolic syndrome in overweight but not
normal- weight adults. We assessed whether intakes of calcium and dairy foods were
associated with measures of obesity in hypercholesterolemic (HC) and normocholesterolemic
(non-HC) children at baseline and over 1 year.

Congratulations to Mike!

IN THE NEWS 2005

Matthew Barker , M.S. Joins Research Diets
December 20, 2005

Mr. Barker earned his B.S. in Animal Sciences from the Kansas State University . Before working as a laboratory technician in a toxicology laboratory, he earned his M.S. in Animal Sciences at the Kansas State University focusing in the area of non ruminant animal nutrition. Matt has investigated the effects of antibiotic alternatives on growth performance and bacterial shedding rates of Salmonella enterica in swine. Matt is an integral part of our growing purified ingredient diet business, where he consults with researchers and prepares custom diet formulations. barker@ResearchDiets.com

Research Diets, Inc. Discontinues NOYES Product Line
December 28, 2005

Due to a business decision, RDI will no longer sell NOYES products as of December 28, 2005. The company's overall marketing strategy and direction does not support the selling of the NOYES product line in the future. RDI will continue to focus on its flourishing core business; purified ingredient OpenSource Diets™, and the innovative BioDAQ food intake and behavior monitoring system. We hope you will think of us if you are in need of such products. Please note that we will honor any current orders you may have placed with us as of December 28, 2005 and any standing orders scheduled to ship in the month of January 2006. We urge you to find an alternative supplier or protocol. If you have any questions or need help finding a supplier please contact marketing@ResearchDiets.com

Michael A. Pellizzon, Ph.D. Joins Research Diets
June 1 , 2005

Michael A. Pellizzon, Ph.D., joins Research Diets team of experts as Project Manager and Scientist. Dr. Pellizzon earned his doctorate in nutrition and food science from Wayne State University in Detroit , MI . Mike then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia , PA. During his fellowship, Mike investigated the role of nutrient manipulation on molecular mechanisms related to atherosclerosis risk in mice. In addition, Mike has had extensive experience performing obesity research both at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and at Wayne State University in Detroit , Michigan . Therefore, his training has provided him with strong credentials to advise researchers on their custom formulation needs. You may contact Mike at pellizzon@ResearchDiets.com

Research Diets Own Matthew Ricci Gets Published
March 17, 2005

Matthew R. Ricci, V.P./Director of Project Development & Management for Research Diets, Inc. was published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism (Ricci, Matthew R., Mi-Jeong Lee, Colleen D. Russell, Yanxin, Wang, Sean Sullivan, Stephen H. Schneider, Robert E. Brolin, and Susan K. Fried, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 288: E798–E804, 2005).

The paper is titled: Isoproterenol decreases leptin release from rat and human adipose tissue through post transcriptional mechanisms. From the Abstract:In vivo and in vitro studies indicate that ß-adrenergic receptor agonists decrease leptin release from fat cells in as little as 30 min. Our objective was to determine whether alterations in leptin biosynthesis or secretion were involved in the short-term adrenergic regulation of leptin in human and rat adipose tissue. Isoproterenol (Iso) decreased leptin release from incubated adipose tissue of both non obese and obese subjects to similar extent
(-28 vs. -21% after 3 h). Inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide did not block the effect of Iso on leptin release from human adipose tissue, suggesting that the Iso effect is independent of leptin synthesis. Iso also tended to increase tissue leptin content at the end of the 3-h incubation, as expected from the observed inhibition of release. Consistent with a posttranslational mechanism, Iso treatment did not affect leptin mRNA levels or relative rate of leptin biosynthesis as directly assessed by [35S]methionine incorporation into immunoprecipitable leptin. In contrast to these results in human adipose tissues, Iso did not decrease basal leptin release from rat adipose tissue. However, Iso did decrease insulin-stimulated leptin release by inhibiting the ability of insulin to increase leptin biosynthesis without detectably affecting leptin mRNA levels. Thus, in both human and rat, adrenergic regulation of post transcriptional events (secretion in humans, translation in rats) may contribute to the rapid decline in circulating leptin that occurs when the sympathetic nervous system is activated, such as during fasting and cold exposure. Furthermore, the rat does not provide an ideal model to study mechanisms of cellular leptin regulation in humans.

Congratulations!

Research Diets Invited to Speak at Two Scientific Meetings on Metabolic Syndrome
February 15, 2005

Research Diets Edward A. Ulman, Ph.D., President and Matthew R. Ricci, Ph.D. Vice- President have been invited to speak at two separate scientific meetings on the Metabolic Syndrome this Spring. The topic of discussion is titled Diet-Induced Metabolic Disease Models in Laboratory Animals. The talk will discuss how diet influences the development of the Metabolic Syndrome in humans and laboratory animals. Changes in diet composition (the quantity and type of fat and carbohydrate; and low or high salt and cholesterol) can repeatedly accelerate or delay the onset of this cluster of diseases. Purified ingredient diets allow controlled, reportable and repeatable modifications of these components. Hence, a diet-driven phenotype provides scientists with a powerful and relevant research tool for studying therapeutic and preventative treatments.

IN THE NEWS 2004

Research Diets Own Angela M. Gajda Gets Published ...AGAIN!
December 7, 2004

Angela M. Gajda, Project Management and Development Specialist for Research Diets, Inc. was published in the Journal of Animal Science (M. Gajda, E. A. Flickinger, C. M. Grieshop, L. L. Bauer, N. R. Merchen, and G. C. Fahey, Jr., J. Anim. Sci. 2005. 83:160–171).

The paper is titled: Corn hybrid affects in vitro and in vivo measures of nutrient digestibility in dogs. From the Abstract: Corn is a commonly used ingredient in
dry pet foods because there is a stable supply and it is a relatively inexpensive source of nutrients. Corn hybrids are available that are higher in CP and amylose and lower in phytate concentration than conventional hybrids. Approximately 500 mg of high-protein (HP), high-protein, low-phytate (HPLP), and high-amylose (HA) corn were compared with conventional (CONV) corn and amylomaize starch (AM) in triplicate and exposed to pepsin/hydrochloric acid and pancreatin to simulate hydrolytic digestion.The experiments demonstrated that HP and HPLP corn had hydrolytic digestion and fermentation characteristics similar to those of CONV corn, whereas HA resulted in similar responses to AM, a well-established resistant starch ingredient. Congratulations to Angela.

Research Diets Own Angela M. Gajda Gets Published
May 19, 2004

Angela M. Gajda, Project Management and Development Specialist for Research Diets, Inc. was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (Dust, J., A. M. Gajda, E. A. Flickinger, T. M. Burkhalter, N. R. Merchen, and G. C. Fahey, Jr., J. Agric. Food Chem. 2004, 52, 2989-2996).

The paper is titled Extrusion Conditions Affect Chemical Composition and in Vitro Digestion of Select Food Ingredients. From the Abstract: An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of extrusion conditions on chemical composition and in vitro hydrolytic and fermentative digestion of barley grits, cornmeal, oat bran, soybean flour, soybean hulls, and wheat bran. Extrusion conditions altered crude protein, fiber, and starch concentrations of ingredients. Organic matter disappearance (OMD) increased for extruded versus unprocessed samples of barley grits, cornmeal, and soybean flour that had been hydrolytically digested. After 8 h of fermentative digestion, OMD decreased as extrusion conditions intensified for barley grits and cornmeal but increased for oat bran, soybean hulls, and wheat bran. Total short chain fatty acid production decreased as extrusion conditions intensified for barley grits, soybean hulls, and soybean flour. These data suggest that the effects of extrusion conditions on ingredient composition and digestion are influenced by the unique chemical characteristics of individual substrates.

We are all very proud of Angela here at Research Diets. Congratulations!

Schering-Plough Scientists Identify Protein Essential for Cholesterol Absorption from Intestine
March 1, 2004

Schering-Plough scientists have published a major advance in the understanding of the primary pathway by which intestinal cholesterol is absorbed in the February 20 issue of Science. This pathway has eluded investigators for 75 years. The authors propose that this new molecular transporter, NPC1L1, is the target for the first-in-class cholesterol absorption inhibitor, Zetia™ (ezetimibe). The in vivo evidence for their finding involved the generation of the Npc1l1 knock-out mouse and the measurement of cholesterol absorptions under various dietary conditions. See press release.

Research Diets, Inc. products were used in these studies to rule out alternative mechanisms of changes in cholesterol absorption, namely the bile acid pathway. This is not the first time this group has depended on diets from Research Diets, Inc. for their Zetia research. In addition to this work, Schering scientists have cited Research Diets, Inc. products in many of their publications along the path of the discovery and development of this important new therapeutic. Nearly 10 years ago, the group reported data from a variety of in vivo studies using hamsters, rats, and rhesus monkeys fed Research Diets, Inc. products used to identify the pre-cursor to Zetia, SCH48461 (Salisbury et al, Atherosclerosis, Vol.115, Issue 1, May 1995).

Research Diets Responds to Increased Demand for Irradiated Diets
February 26, 2004

New Brunswick, NJ- Responding to increased demand for gamma irradiated diets, Research Diets, Inc. now sends diets for irradiation weekly reducing customer lead times. Almost all of our diets can be gamma-irradiated for use in barrier facilities. Irradiated diets are “double-bagged” inside our standard double-walled corrugated carton.

Some of our standard diets are available irradiated (10-20 kGy) from stock at standard prices. Other diets are irradiated per order at an additional cost depending on quantity and lead-time. Regular Service adds 10 working days after production. Rush Service adds an additional 3-5 working days after production.

Research Diets Celebrates it's 20th Year in Business
January 1, 2004

New Brunswick, NJ- Research Diets, Inc. celebrates its 20th year of success. It all started in 1984 in Ed Ulman’s kitchen where he made his first diet for lab animal research. Ed had spent many years in the research community and saw a need for a reliable source for custom purified diets. With his contacts in the industry and first hand knowledge of lab animal research he has built Research Diets into a flourishing business.

Today the company has 30 employees and has assembled a Resource Center staffed with nutritionists and food scientists providing expert consultation services to researchers worldwide. Research Diets specializes in manufacturing custom purified diets for diet induced disease models. One such model is in the study of obesity and diabetes where the company developed the “Original” high fat diet for lab animal research. Over the years more than 6,000 custom formulations have been created for various areas of study.