Patent ID: 7262020

Claim:
A method of analyzing the relative molecular flux rates of two or more biological molecules of different biochemical classes in one or more tissues or individuals, comprising: (a) administering isotope-labeled water to one or more tissues or individuals for a period of time sufficient for an isotope label of said isotope-labeled water to be incorporated in vivo into two or more biological molecules to form two or more isotope-labeled biological molecules; (b) obtaining one or more biological samples from said one or more tissues or individuals, wherein said one or more biological samples together comprise said two or more isotope-labeled biological molecules; (c) measuring a content, rate of incorporation and/or pattern or rate of change in content and/or pattern of isotope labeling of said two or more biological molecules to determine molecular flux rates of said two or more biological molecules; and (d) comparing the molecular flux rates of said two or more biological molecules to analyze the relative molecular flux rates of said two or more biological molecules; wherein said two or more biological molecules are independently selected from the group consisting of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, peptides, amino acids, and nucleic acids; and wherein said isotope-labeled water is 2 H 2 O or H 2 18 O.