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Reduced exercise capacity in a mouse model of asthma
  1. J A J Vanoirbeek1,
  2. G Toussaint2,
  3. B Nemery3,
  4. P H M Hoet3
  1. 1Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Laboratory of Lung Toxicology, Leuven, Belgium
  2. 2Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Center for Molecular en Vascular Biology, Leuven, Belgium
  3. 3Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Laboratory of Lung Toxicology, Leuven, Belgium
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr J A J Vanoirbeek
    Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Laboratory of Lung Toxicology, Herestraat 49 bus 706, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Jeroen.vanoirbeek{at}med.kuleuven.be

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One of the important clinical features of asthma is the exercise intolerance due to an exacerbation.1 Yet, to our knowledge, this end point has never been assessed in animal models of asthma. In a mouse model of chemical induced asthma we found early and late alterations in ventilatory function using unrestrained whole body plethysmography.2–,4 Partly because this technique has been heavily criticised,5 we sought to provide another measure of functional impairment in asthma—namely, exercise endurance. This was done by a simple exercise test in which mice were forced to swim against a limited downwards current;6 if they stopped swimming the current pulled them under the water. Swimming endurance time is measured as a proxy of exercise tolerance. Task failure is defined as a period of 5 seconds under water.6

The protocol for sensitising and challenging mice was similar to that used previously,2–,4 with small modifications. Male BALB/c mice (±20 g, 6 weeks old) received dermal applications of 20 µl …

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