Timothy A. Hacker, PhD
Eugene Kaji, MD
Kurt Saupe, PhD
Charles K. Stone, MD
Matthew R. Wolff, MD

The Cardiovascular Physiology Core Facility provides University of Wisconsin (UW) and non-UW researchers with a central resource for creating and studying animal models of disease on a fee-for-service basis. While the central focus of the facility is cardiovascular research, the techniques employed are often useful to investigators in other fields. Currently, the facility is conducting studies into diabetes, bone growth, drug toxicology, and gene therapy in liver and skeletal muscle, as well as cardiovascular disease. One of the most popular services provided by the facility is evaluation of the cardiovascular phenotype of transgenic mice.

Staff and Facilities
The Cardiovascular Physiology Core Facility is staffed by four experienced, full-time professionals and located in 4,000 square feet of laboratory and surgical space on the first floor of the Medical Science Center (1300 University Avenue).

The facilities include:

• Fully equipped small and large animal operating theaters
• State-of the art echocardiography
• Mouse ECG and blood pressure monitoring via telemetry
• Exercise testing and training
• Physiologic recording equipment
• Arterial blood gas machine
• Sonomicrometry

Services
Services are oriented towards providing investigators with data suitable for use in a grant proposal or manuscript. Staff works with clients to assess their needs and provide the appropriate level of technical and scientific assistance. In addition to the techniques listed below, other techniques may be available upon request.

Mice, rats and guinea pigs

• Models of chronic myocardial infarction, heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy
• Evaluation of cardiac mechanics using closed chest measurement of pressure and volume via a conductance catheter
• Exercise tolerance testing and exercise training
• Ambulatory blood pressure and ECG recordings (telemetry)
• Echocardiographic and Doppler imaging

Dogs, pigs and non-human primates

• Acute, open-chest porcine models of myocardial ischemia, infarction and stunning
• Acute open- and closed-chest canine and porcine preparations for investigating coronary blood flow, myocardial metabolism and arrhythmias
• Chronic canine and porcine models of myocardial ischemia, stunning, hibernation and heart failure
• Complete echocardiographic and Doppler imaging

Other Services:
The Core administers sterile animal operating theaters and provides surgical support services to the large animal catheterization laboratory at the Clinical Science Center. This includes use of X-ray guided catheters. The Core also includes a machine shop that fabricates large and fine custom research equipment from plastics and metal. The machine shop includes a horizontal mill, lathe, micro drill press, band saw and torches. The Core conducts laboratory teaching exercises for undergraduate and School of Medicine and Public Health courses.

Representative projects:

1. Phenotype of transgenic mice—Echocardiography is used to determine whether mice over expressing key metabolic enzymes have increased resistance to acute and chronic oxidative or ischemic stress.
2. Primate stem cell injection—Embryonic stem cells are injected into a myocardial region damaged by ischemia. Animals are followed longitudinally to determine the effect of stem cell treatment on cardiac function.
3. Heart failure in dogs-Heart failure is induced by pacing the heart at 210-240 beats/minute for several weeks, with the exact pacing protocol determined by the severity of heart failure desired. Cardiovascular hemodynamics are monitored to evaluate the degree of heart failure. Myocardium is harvested and frozen so that heart failure-induced changes in myocardial biology can be defined.

Approximate prices can be viewed by clicking here. For a detailed price quote contact Dr. Timothy Hacker.

An order form can be accessed by clicking here.

Contact Information

Timothy A. Hacker, PhD
1637 MSC
1330 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 263-1539
Fax: (608) 262-4761
Email: th2@medicine.wisc.edu