An apparatus for the measurement of lung volume and compliance in mice

Pressure-volume (P-V) curves and total lung capacity (TLC) were measured in excised lung of mice using a water manometer and a closed system in which the humidity and temperature were controlled. In pathogen-free mice there are no significant differences in elastic properties of these lungs in relation to their age. The measured TLC in those normal mice was approximately 2·9 ml. This relatively simple apparatus which allows one to make sensitive and accurate measurements of pulmonary function in mice and other small animals.