Leak-Free Head-Out Plethysmography System Dataset

Dataset collected using leak-free head-out plethysmography system and corresponding software to assess lung function in mice. Variables collected are inspiratory/expiratory volume (pressure change associated with movement of the ribcage), inspiratory/expiratory time, enhanced pause (Penh; dimensionless variable supposed to indicate shape of waveform of each breath), mid-expiratory flow (EF50; flow rate at 50% expiratory volume), end-inspiratory pause (pause in flow occurring at end of inspiration), and end-inspiratory pause and expiratory time (added pause & expiratory time). We assessed both tidal breathing and response to methacholine in adult male mice before and after sensitization with house dust mite (HDM). We started by collecting a five-minute baseline measurement then exposed mice to increasing concentrations of nebulized methacholine dissolved in PBS at time zero (0, 25, 50, 100 mg/ml; exposure 30 seconds; rate 0.191 ml/30 seconds). Mice were allowed to recover in between each dose of methacholine. Tidal breathing reported as an average of all baseline measurements. Response to methacholine reported as the difference from the averaged baseline measurement prior to giving methacholine. The response to methacholine is reported as both 1 minute rolling averages every 30 seconds from time -5 to 10 minutes and as the minimum or maximum 30 second average for each variable within 10 minutes post methacholine exposure. Finally, in male and female mice aged 6 and 18 months we collected a 10-minute tidal breathing measurement and calculated the average over the 10 minutes for each variable. With this dataset we validated the use of our head-out plethysmography system to assess alterations in lung function associated with exposure to the bronchoconstrictor methacholine, house dust mite sensitization, age, and sex.