A modified method for quantitative measurements of cholinergic and adrenergic sialogogue-induced salivation in mice.
A modified procedure based on that reported by Richter is described for the quantitative measurement of salivation induced by sialogogues in mice. As a new immobilizing technique for mice, the present method uses a combination of light anesthesia produced by a low dose (1.0 g/kg, i.p.) of urethane and a fixing plate, instead of deep anesthesia induced by a high dose (1.8 g/kg, i.p.) of urethane. Unlike Richter's method, the immobilizing technique described here did not potentiate the toxicity of sialogogues and hence no mice died within 48 h after the end of the experiment. This method could easily measure salivation induced by cholinergic agonists (pilocarpine and bethanechol) and adrenergic agonists (phenylephrine and isoproterenol), dose-dependently. Thus, the present method may be useful for studying salivation responses induced by various types of sialogogues under less toxic experimental conditions in mice.
Murai
S
S
Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan.
Saito
H
H
Masuda
Y
Y
Nakamura
K
K
Yoshida
H
H
Itoh
T
T
D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects*
D010862:Pilocarpine; D010656:Phenylephrine; D007545:Isoproterenol