The use of radiotelemetry in small laboratory animals: Recent advances

Radiotelemetry provides an alternative means of obtaining physiological mea surements from awake and freely moving laboratory animals, without introduc ing stress artifacts. For researchers, especially those in the fields of ph armacology and toxicology, the technique may provide a valuable tool for pr edicting the effectiveness and safety of new compounds in humans. In light of studies described in the literature, it is concluded that there is ample evidence that the use of radiotelemetry for measuring blood pressure, card iac activity, heart rate, body temperature, and locomotor activity in roden ts has been validated sufficiently. Today, this technology is an important tool for the stress-free collection of these physiologic data in small rode nts, including mice.