Body composition in vivo. I. The estimation of total body water with antipyrine and the relation of total body water to total body fat in rabbits

Abstract

Total body water estimates made in eight rabbits by the antipyrine dilution technique ranged from 52.6 to 69.7% of fasted liveweight. These estimates agreed closely with subsequent measurements of total body water, made by dessicating samples of the minced bodies, which ranged from 50.6 to 68.7% of the fasted liveweight.

The relationship between total body water and total body fat was determined in 47 fasted rabbits in which these body components ranged from 47.2 to 71.8 and 3.6 to 34.6 % of liveweight respectively. This relationship was y = 95.5 - 1 .30x, where x and y are the percentages of water and fat respectively in the live animal. The mean water content of the lean body mass was 72.6 ¦ 1.1 % for the 47 rabbits in these experiments.