Wire Myography for Dorsal Aorta and Mesenteric Resistance Arteries from Mice and Rats

Wire myography is a widely used ex vivo technique for the quantitative assessment of vascular function in isolated arteries. Because large conduit and small resistance arteries differ fundamentally in structure and physiological role, analyzing both vessel classes in parallel using arteries harvested from the same mouse or rat enables paired comparisons that reduce inter-animal variability and reveal vessel-specific functional changes. This article presents a step-by-step protocol for assessing vascular reactivity in isolated murine conduit and resistance arteries using isometric wire myography. We describe the preparation of fresh, oxygenated physiological buffer; careful dissection, cleaning, and mounting of arterial segments; and normalization to set vessels near their optimal length for active force generation. A troubleshooting guide and an example experimental sequence for generating cumulative concentration-response curves to standard vasoconstrictors and vasodilators are provided. This protocol allows quantitative measurement of both endothelial and smooth muscle function and facilitates detection of vessel-specific alterations in vascular reactivity associated with vascular disease, such as hypertension.