Translational value of mechanical and vasomotor properties of mouse isolated mesenteric resistance-sized arteries

Mice are increasingly used in vascular research for studying perturbations and responses to vasoactive agents in small artery preparations. Historically, small artery function has preferably been studied in rat isolated mesenteric resistance-sized arteries (MRA) using the wire myograph technique. Although different mouse arteries have been studied using the wire myograph no establishment of optimal settings has yet been performed. Therefore, the purposes of this study were firstly to establish the optimal settings for wire myograph studies of mouse MRA and compare them to those of rat MRA. Second, by surveying the literature, we aimed to evaluate the overall translatability of observed pharmacological vasomotor responses of mouse MRA to those obtained in rat MRA as well as corresponding and different arteries in terms of vessel size and species origin. Our results showed that the optimal conditions for maximal active force development in mouse MRA were not significantly different to those determined in rat MRA. Furthermore, we found that the observed concentration-dependent vasomotor responses of mouse MRA to noradrenaline, phenylephrine, angiotensin II, sarafotoxin 6c, 5-hydroxytryptamine, carbachol, sodium nitroprusside, and retigabine were generally similar to those described in rat MRA as well as arteries of different sizes and species origin. In summary, the results of this study provide a framework for evidence-based optimization of the isometric wire myograph setup to mouse MRA. Additionally, in terms of translational value, our study suggests that mouse MRA can be applied as a useful model for studying vascular reactivity.