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Measuring drug effects on exercise endurance under extreme environmental conditions in rats using motorized wheels
Author(s) -
Radiloff Daniel R.,
Wu Chan,
Zhao Yulin,
Hanna Gabi,
Irwin David,
Hamilton Karyn,
Schroeder Thies
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.lb547
Subject(s) - habituation , hypoxia (environmental) , medicine , nifedipine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , anesthesia , physical therapy , chemistry , audiology , oxygen , organic chemistry , calcium
Objectives Exercise capacity in laboratory animals is typically measured using treadmills which require large spatial allocation and have poor habituation efficacy, making it unsuitable for high throughput application. We present a novel rat exercise system involving motorized rodent wheels that has high habituation efficiency, and due to small spatial allocation allows for high throughput experimentation. Methods Female Sprague Dawley rats were habituated to maintain position in motorized wheels at low speed for 10 min daily. Wheel speed was increased incrementally over 10 days. On testing days, animals received i.p. injections of nifedipine (40 mpk), or iron sucrose (5 x 1 mpk daily) or vehicle. Animals were then exposed to escalating exercise burden under hypoxia. Exhaust signs included sliding, hanging, tail position, and time until self motivated movement after removal from wheel. Results >90% of rats ran proficiently within 10 days of habituation. Nifedipine significantly decreased time run to exhaust. Iron sucrose on the other hand significantly enhanced exercise performance under hypoxia vs. control. Conclusion We established a novel, ergonomic, and efficient system to measure exercise capacity in rats under hypoxia for high throughput experimentation. This system has application in various disciplines, including exercise physiology, environmental medicine, and drug development.