Evaluation of bioimpedance spectroscopy for the measurement of body fluid compartment volumes in rats.

Introduction: Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) has been used in human and large animal research to assess body fluid compartment volumes (BFC) such as total body water (TBW), extracellular fluid volume (ECFV), and intracellular fluid volume (ICFV). To date, the application of BIS for determination of BFC in small research animals has been limited.

Methods: We sought to evaluate the sensitivity and consistency of BIS for the determination of BFC in male SD rats.