CONTENTS
1.1Introduction
1.2Unique Physiological Characteristics of the Laboratory Mouse
1.3Methodology for Sample Collection
1.3.1Blood Collection
1.3.1.1Collection Volume Limits and Frequency of Collection
1.3.1.2Primary Sites for Collection and Restraint
1.3.1.3Handling and Storage
1.3.1.4Serum
1.3.1.5Plasma
1.3.1.6Choice of Anticoagulant
1.3.1.7Storage
1.3.2Urine Collection and Storage
1.4Preanalytical Sources of Variation
1.4.1Sex
1.4.2Age
1.4.3Genetics
1.4.4Health Status
1.4.5Nutritional Status
1.4.5.1Diet
1.4.5.2Fasting
1.4.5.3Caloric Restriction
1.4.6Environment
1.4.7Circadian rhythm
1.4.8Pregnancy
1.4.9Stress
1.4.10Anesthesia
1.4.11Specimen Collection and Handling
1.4.11.1Interfering Constituents
1.4.11.2Site of Sampling
1.5Basic Methodology for Common Procedures
1.5.1Adrenocorticotropin Hormone Stimulation Test
1.5.2Water Deprivation
1.5.3Ammonia Tolerance Test
1.5.4Indocyanine Green Elimination Test
1.5.5Bile AcidsāPre- and Postprandial
1.5.6Bromosulphthalein Clearance
1.5.7Low-Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test
1.5.8High-Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test
1.5.9Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test
1.5.10Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
1.5.11Inulin ClearanceāSingle Bolus Injection Method
1.5.12TSH (Thyrotropin) Stimulation Test
1.5.13Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulation Test
1.6Reference Ranges
References
1.1INTRODUCTION
The origin of the laboratory mouse lies in pet mice bred by mouse fanciers in Europe throughout the 1800s. These āfancy miceā in turn, were derived from several wild Asian mice species that were selected and mated for desirable traits in Asia before the seventeenth century. Although not appreciated initially, several desirable traits of these so-called āfancy-miceā were genetic in origin. In the early 1900s, biologists conducted Mendelian genetic experiments with fancy-mice (Rader, 2004; Paigen, 2003a). By 1909, the first inbred strain, the dba (DBA/2) mouse, was created by selecting for homozygosity of three recessive coat color alleles: d dilute, b brown, a nonagouti (Paigen, 2003a). By the 1970s, more than 250 strains of inbred mice had been created and used extensively in various fields of biomedical research, including cancer, biology, immunology, and genetics. Their use has expanded further with the advent of transgenic technologies in the 1980s (Paigen, 2003a). Outbred mice, especially the āSwissā stocks, also have been extensively used for diverse research applications.
Practical and scientific advantages of mice in research include small size, ease of handling, low housing costs, short generation time, fecundity, short time to maturation, genetically homogenous populations (inbred strains) with well-defined traits, 95% genetic homology with humans, and genetic and phenotypic disease homologies between mice and humans (Paigen, 2003b).
Currently, more than 450 major inbred mouse strains and 13,000 unique strains of genetically engineered mice are available for research (National Center for Research Resources, 2004), and mouse gene knockout initiatives ongoing in several countries can be anticipated to increase the numbers further. However, common strains and stocks will be emphasized in this chapter. Further, online resources and information on inbred and genetically engineered mice (and their use as models for disease) not mentioned in this chapter are available to the biomedical researcher, including (but not limited to) the following:
ā¢Mouse Phenome Database (The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME; http://phenome.jax.org/)
ā¢Mouse Genome Informatics (The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME; http://www.informatics.jax.org/
ā¢Knockout Mouse Project (http://www.knockoutmouse.org/)
ā¢Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Centers (MMRRC Informatics, Coordination and Service Center, Bar Harbor, ME; http://www.mmrrc.org/)
ā¢National Toxicology Program (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/)
ā¢Europhenome Mouse Phenotyping Resource (http://www.europhenome.org/databrowser/viewer.jsp)
ā¢Charles River Laboratories (http://www.criver.com/find-a-model)
There are many indications for performing clinical chemistry (along with other clinical and anatomic pathology testing) in laboratory mice. First, clinical chemistry may help with the characterization or validation of a disease and/or disease model in mice. Second, c...