title: Physical performance and soleus muscle fiber composition in wild-derived and laboratory inbred mouse strains.
abstract: We compared four inbred mouse strains in their physical performance, measured as a maximal treadmill running time, characteristics of soleus muscle, anatomic character, and growth. The strains used were Mus musculus domesticus [C57BL/6 (B6) and BALB/c], Mus musculus molossinus (MSM/Ms), and Mus spretus. Maximal running time was significantly different among these four mouse strains. Running time until exhaustion was highest in MSM/Ms and lowest in M. spretus. Maximal times for the laboratory mouse strains were nearly identical. Soleus muscle fiber type and cross-sectional area also differed significantly among the species. In particular, M. spretus was significantly different from the other inbred mouse strains. Growth in the wild-derived inbred mice appeared to be complete earlier than in the laboratory mice, and the body size of the wild strains was about half that of the laboratory strains. From these results, we propose that wild-derived inbred mouse strains are useful models for enhancing phenotypic variation in physical performance and adaptability.
authors.affiliation: YS New Technology Institute, Toichigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Totsuka
authors.forename: Yasumitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yonekawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hatta
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Izaike
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Yoriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Atomi
mesh_terms: D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity; D009115:Muridae; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009929:Organ Size; D010807:Physical Endurance; D013623:Tail / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013997:Time Factors