Fundamental Study on Ataxic Mice (Wriggle mouse Sagami)

Abstract

Wriggle mouse Sagami (WMS), a newly discovered BALB/C mouse strain, is chara-cterized by its locomotor instability, abnormal gait pattern and neck wriggling. Although the growth of WMS mice is delayed, compared with normal BALB/C mice, the brain size corresponds to the relatively smaller body weight. In gross or histological examinaitions no local atrophy appears in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem or spinal cord. The c-GMP level in the WMS cerebellum is decreased, but the c-AMP level is normal. The ataxic gait is not improved significantly by the administration of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) . These results indicate that the mechanism inducing ataxia and abnormal gait pattern in WMS may be differerent from those in other genetically-determined ataxic mice, e, g, , Rolling mouse Nagaya (RMN), PCD, Staggerer and Reeler.