Optical Spectroscopy in Mice

Abstract

The major role of genetically engineered mice in cardiovascular research can hardly be overlooked. At present, part of the research on molecular biology is shifted from the cellular level to the level of intact animals. However, the researcher wanting to study the influence of molecular perturbations on the level of integrated physiology in mice is faced with major challenges. Now suddenly the advantages of using mice, i.e. small size and fast breeding speed, are becoming a burden to the researcher. This is especially true in cardiovascular research where emphasis lies on measurements of hemodynamic parameters in vivo.Here, many standard operations and measurement methods, used in larger animals, prove to be useless in mice because of small size and circulating blood volume. For example, taking standard blood samples of 0.2 ml appears to have major impact on blood pressure and microvascular oxygen levels’. Also the use of anesthesia and its various effects in different strains of mice can have a major impact on the results.