Abstract
Isolated tracheal rings have often been used to directly measure the contractile output of airway smooth muscle (ASM). Here, we describe the method for excising murine tracheas, mounting tracheal rings in organ baths, and measuring the isometric forces generated by the ASM when stimulated by drug additions or electric field stimulation. The apparatus for the setup and the pathways responsible for stimulation are detailed. Examples of the responses and analyses of two types of ASM stimulation are illustrated: (1) the carbachol concentration–response curve and (2) the frequency–response curve elicited by electric field stimulation.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from the Center for Innovation in Prevention and Treatment of Airway Diseases (CIPTAD) and NINDS (NS052574) to R.B.
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Herlihy, J.T., Semenov, I., Brenner, R. (2013). Assessment of Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Murine Tracheal Rings. In: Allen, I. (eds) Mouse Models of Allergic Disease. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1032. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-496-8_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-496-8_20
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