Abstract 2140: Diet composition - A critical variable in fluorescence imaging for preclinical cancer research.

Key Points

• The research aims to evaluate how different dietary ingredients influence fluorescence imaging quality in preclinical cancer studies.
• Measured direct fluorescence of diet pellets using IVIS Spectrum 2 across wavelengths 640 to 750 nm.
• Fed male mice different diets (alfalfa, purified, and variations with dyes) for 2 weeks after an initial week on alfalfa chow.
• Analyzed datasets with Living Image software using spectral unmixing algorithms to separate signals.
• Alfalfa diets produced significant background fluorescence at specific wavelengths, obscuring important signals.
• Purified diets with or without dyes cleared background fluorescence in 1-2 weeks, enhancing image clarity.
• Findings were consistent across both tested mouse strains (NU/J and C57BL/6J).