2021 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 22-29
In vivo assessment of murine gastrointestinal (GI) motility is useful for understanding GI diseases and developing effective therapies. The establishment of noninvasive measurement methods for mice will contribute to translational research bridging basic research and clinical practice, which can be a beneficial for maintaining quality of life in humans and animals. Recent advances in noninvasive diagnostic techniques have led to this update on the application and performance of available tests in mice. In vivo imaging techniques have been developed as noninvasive methods for the assessment of murine GI motility, and many of these methods have been applied to humans. Imaging techniques, including scintigraphy and ultrasonography, are frequently used in clinical practice. Basic data obtained using methods commonly used in clinical practice may be directly translated to clinical practice and are more attractive than those obtained using invasive methods. In this review, we provide recommended methods for noninvasively investigating gastric, small intestinal, and colonic motility in mice and detail the benefits of each test.