title: Comparison of contractile responses in isolated mouse aorta and pulmonary artery: Influence of strain and sex.
abstract: Transgenic mice are often used to study the physiologic role of a known gene. The design of experiments with transgenic mice usually does not take into account strain and sex differences, at least in isolated vessels. Therefore, we have compared the contractile response of isolated aortae and isolated pulmonary arteries of male and female mice of different strains (CD1, BL6, and DBA). Contractile stimulation was achieved by depolarization due to KCl, alpha1-adrenoceptor stimulation by phenylephrine and inhibition of protein phosphatase activity by cantharidin. In isolated aorta, strain-specific differences in contractility and sex-specific differences could be observed. The concentration of phenylephrine (PE) inducing half maximal contraction (EC50) was different between aortae from DBA male mice and the other strains tested. Phasic contractions of isolated aortic rings due to PE were seen in all mice except DBA male. In isolated pulmonary arteries, strain-specific differences and sex-specific differences could be observed. The EC50-values of PE were not different between all groups. Phasic contractions due to PE were only seen in pulmonary arteries from CD1 male and BL6 female. In conclusion, strain- and sex-specific differences should be considered in selecting mice used for transgenesis or gene targeting experiments.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aleth
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balzer
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gergs
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002193:Cantharidin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010656:Phenylephrine; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D002193:Cantharidin; D011188:Potassium