title: Cardiovascular responses to electrical stimulation of sympathetic nerves in the pithed mouse.
abstract: The pithed rat model has been used extensively to study peripheral cardiovascular responses to electrical stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, as pithing eliminates central and reflex effects. However, since the transgenic mouse has become a standard and economical model organism, an electrically stimulated pithed mouse would facilitate a variety of studies. We have developed surgical techniques, drug doses and stimulation parameters for an electrically stimulated pithed mouse to study peripheral sympathetic nerve effects on blood pressure. Similar to the pithed rat, the pithed mouse showed voltage and frequency-dependent blood pressure responses to a pulsed train of electrical stimuli. In addition, alpha-adrenergic stimulation with phenylephrine gave a marked systolic pressor response, while the beta2 agonist salbutamol lowered diastolic blood pressure. Furthermore, pithed transgenic mice unable to synthesize catecholamines in adrenergic cells displayed smaller pressor responses than pithed control mice. In summary, the electrically stimulated pithed mouse can be used to study peripheral effects of the sympathetic system on cardiovascular dynamics unencumbered by central responses.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University, Jordan.
authors.forename: Hamzeh H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Elayan
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milic
authors.forename: Fujun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xuping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003655:Decerebrate State; D003714:Denervation; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D002395:Catecholamines