A robust diving response in the laboratory mouse

The diving response is a coordinated physiological response to submersion under water and has been documented amongst all mammals tested to date. The physiological response consists of three primary reflexes: an immediate bradycardia, apnea, and selective constriction of peripheral blood vessels. We hypothesized that mice would exhibit a diving response upon voluntary submersion into water typically seen in other mammals. In this study, telemeters that measure arterial pressure were implanted into male and female C57Bl/6J mice. These mice were trained to voluntarily dive underwater for a distance of 40 cm over a 4-6 s period. Just before the dive, the interbeat interval (IBI) was 87 ± 6 ms (mean ± SD) and diastolic pressure was 99 ± 14 mmHg. Underwater submersion caused (1) a dramatic bradycardia immediately at the onset of each dive, as IBI increased to 458 ± 104 ms, and (2) a large drop in diastolic pressure, to 56 ± 16 mmHg despite the elevation in peripheral resistance. Mice experienced a short bout (~ 2 s) of hypertension (diastolic pressure rose to 131 ± 17 mmHg) upon emergence. The bradycardia and hypotension appeared to be vagally mediated, since both these responses were blocked with atropine pre-treatment. These data demonstrate that the mouse exhibits a robust diving response upon voluntary submersion into water.