Mouse Core

Measurements of Cardiovascular Function 

Blood pressure & Heart Rate:

• Telemetric measurement of Pressure in awake unrestrained mice
• Computer controlled tail-cuff plethysmography
• Chronic indwelling arterial and venous catheters
• Acute instrumentation

Ventricular Function:

• Ventricular pressure and dP/dt in the anesthetized intact animal (Millar mikrotip pressure transducer)
• Left ventricular pressure-volume relationships using a combination pressure/impedance Millar catheter
• Serial, noninvasive measurement of cardiac dimension/volume by two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography
• Force frequency relationships by electrical pacing of the right atrium
• Langendorff measurements of left ventricular function in the isolated heart

Cardiac Output:

• Pulse-Doppler flowmetry by transthoracic echocardiography and by intravascular miniature pulse-Doppler probe
• Transit-time flowmetry measurements using perivascular flow probe on ascending aorta
• Thermal Dilution

Measurements of Renal Function 

Metabolic and electrolyte balance studies using specially designed cages 
Clearance studies:

• Inulin-based measurements of GFR and clearance in anesthetized mice
• Creatinine-based measurements of GFR and clearance in awake mice

Renal blood flow:

• Transit-time flowmetry using perivascular flow probe: acute and chronic instrumentation
• Plasma flow by PAH clearance

Plasma and urine electrolyte concentration (Na, K, Cl, Ca, pH, osmolality, blood gasses):

• Flame photometry
• Atomic absorption
• Ion selective electrodes
• Osmolality by freezing-point depression

Renal micropuncture analysis of single nephron function 
Intracellular ion concentration using microfluorimetry (pH, Ca, GFP etc)

Pulmonary 

Blood gas analysis: PO2, PCO2, pH, hematocrit, HCO3, Na, K, Cl, Ca. 

Awake plethysymography:

• Breathing frequency
• Tidal volume
• Minute volume
• Inspiratory/expiratory flow rates and times
• Airway resistance

Pulmonary dynamics and lung reactivity in anestetized mice using pneumotachograph:

• Airway pressure and flow rates
• Airway resistance
• Dynamic and static lung compliance