Establishment of Rat Models

for High-Altitude Heart Disease

Background

Currently, a normobaric hypoxic rat model of pulmonary arterial hypertension has been established domestically, aimed at addressing cor pulmonale resulting from the progression of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Animal models of chronic high-altitude heart disease induced by pulmonary arterial hypertension are typically developed in decompression hypoxia chambers. After 4 weeks of intermittent hypoxia simulating high-altitude conditions, right ventricular hypertrophy occurs. However, the conditions set in the experiments differ from the results observed in rats reared in actual high-altitude areas, where pulmonary arterial hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy develop.

How to Model High-Altitude Heart Disease?

Professor Sui Xiulan from the Second People's Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region divided 64 rats into the following experimental groups: Plateau Adaptation Group (1) (5), Plateau Stimulation Group (2) (4), Chronic High-Altitude Disease Group treated with Rhodiola (3), and the Lowland Control Group.

Method: The Rats Were Exposed to Passive Smoking and Exercise Simulation to Establish the Model

Passive Smoking in Rats: The rats were placed in a cage covered with a glass box, with a small hole left for airflow. Cigarettes were lit and placed inside the cage, with 8 to 10 cigarettes smoked to completion twice daily.

Passive Exercise in Rats: Rats were stirred with a wooden stick or their cages were shaken to encourage them to run back and forth. This was done twice daily for 20 minutes each session.

High-Altitude Rearing: The rats were reared at an altitude of 4,500 meters in Naqu for over two months and then brought back to Lhasa for three months of continued feeding.

Rhodiola Intervention: Natural Rhodiola (200g) was dissolved in 500ml of water and soaked for 12 hours, then boiled slowly, repeating the process twice. The resulting mixture was concentrated to 100ml after combining and filtering out residues. The solution was then cooled and administered orally to the rats at a dose of 0.5ml/100g (Rhodiola/body weight = 1g/100g) for two months.

Conclusion

After measuring pulmonary artery and right ventricular pressures, statistical analysis was performed to obtain the data presented in Table 1.

Related Tow-Int Equipment Used for this Research

The modeling methods mentioned in the above literature can be applied to our company's animal low-pressure oxygen control system, cigarette smoke generator, and small animal treadmill.

Tow-Int Animal Hypobaric Chamber

The Animal Hypobaric Chamber simulates a hypobaric condition in a high plateau environment. The pressure can be set according to the needs, and the maximum altitude can be simulated up to 12,000 meters. It can accommodate several mouse cages or small to medium-sized animals such as dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and mice.

The experimental device comprises an animal chamber, vacuum, monitoring, and control system. It has a high degree of automation and does not need special personnel to manage it; it can work for a month or more.

Product Features

· Real-time display of altitude and oxygen concentration dynamic curve

· Multifunctional programming control: stage type, cycle type, cycle mode control

· Experimental process data can be saved to U disk and can be read in the computer analysis

· With automatic ventilation function, in line with animal feeding standards

· Provide a multi-directional alarm function to remind the lab assistant of abnormal state

Tow-Int Cigarette Smoke Generator

Tow-Int cigarette Smoke generator is multi-functional, it can automatically load and light cigarettes, produce cigarette smoke, throw cigarette butts, etc. A touchscreen controls this machine, has a humanized design, and is easy to operate; no extra manpower is needed.

Features

·  Touch screen control, user-friendly, easy to operate

·  Optional Installations: Environmental real-time smoke monitoring device, air compressor, and exhaust gas adsorption device

· It is equipped with a gas flow meter to adjust the amount of smoke

·  Establishing standard smoking mode by automating smoking

· Both manual and automatic cigarette lighting modes are available. In manual mode, one can trigger cigarette lighting through the screen button while controlling the position of the cigarette

·  In automatic mode, automatic cigarette loading and lighting processes can be realized

Tow-Int Small Animal Hypoxia Treadmill System

The animal hypoxic treadmill system developed by Tow-Int Tech can be used to simulate the physiologically hypoxic state in organisms so that the in vitro research results are closer to the real levels in the body, or it can be used to simulate the pathological state of organisms in special hypoxia to research-related mechanisms and diseases.

Product Features

Hypoxic training has two loads on the human body: the hypoxic load caused by the exercise itself and the stimulation of environmental hypoxia. The sum of these two loads can mobilize the human body’s functional potential to a greater extent. By establishing animal disease models, the mechanisms and properties of these reactions can be clarified, and the effects of hypoxic training on various physiological functions and pathological changes of the body can be studied, which can provide better guidance for clinical disease diagnosis and treatment.

A seven-inch touchscreen controls the animal treadmill. It can set the power on or off, the magnitude of the current of the electrical stimulation can be adjusted, the corresponding channel can be shielded, and the number of electric shocks or the preset electric shock time can be used to determine whether the small animal is exhausted. The inclination of the treadmill is adjustable from 0 to 30°.

Contact us now!

We are committed to making your research easier, more accurate, and more efficient and helping you build confidence in your data! We have provided services for a large number of customers, giving us rich experiences in offering customized, professional solutions according to your needs.

Reference:

[1] 隋岫兰，陈荣华，嘎布；在缺氧低压环境下建立高原心脏病大鼠模型及红景天药物干预；中华内科杂志2004年10月第43卷第10期