Estimation of the Amount of Material Inhaled by Rats in the Inhalation Studies

Abstract

The present study was carried out to develop the inhalation system possible to measure the respiratory volume in rats during the inhalation. The conventional body plethysmography was confirmed to be able to measure the respiratory volume of anesthetized rats accurately. Consequently, this method made it possible to measure the respiratory volume of rats during the inhalation studies by using animal restraint holders combined with the inhalation chamber as body plethysmograph boxes. The practical availability of this inhalation system was proved in the inhalation studies of latex particles, in which the number of particles inhaled by each rat could be estimated by measuring the air concentration of latex particles as well as the respiratory volume of each animal.