Thermal Gradient Ring (TGR)

Name: Thermal Gradient Ring (TGR)
Brand: Ugo Basile
SKU: 35550

Product Code:35550

Category: Pain and Inflammation

The TGR can clearly discriminate temperature-dependent phenotypes or temperature dependent drug effects.

It records and analyses thermal preference phenotyping in mice. For neuropathic pain studies, peripheral neuropathy, temperature sensitivity and insensitivity assessment in basic research, phenotyping and drug screening.

The animal is freely moving, its position is tracked by a camera, and no user intervention is required to gather time spent in each temperature zone (24 zones in duplicate) and many other parameters.

In the TGR mice can freely move around the ring floor, thereby avoiding the stereotypical habit that mice have of staying in a corner, as occurs in rectangular systems.

It is a cost effective and bias-free tool to obtain reproducible data in a very broad range of thermal stimulation experiments.

Detailed description +-

Background

The cellular and molecular mechanisms of temperature sensing receptors (e.g. transient receptor, TRP, channels) and thermoregulation are the subject of intensive studies in neuropathic pain, peripheral neuropathy and temperature preference in general.
The novel circular thermal gradient assay opens new opportunities for thermal preference and avoidance and addresses limitations imposed by classic linear equipment (lack of animal freedom, limited thermal choice, inability to make discerning exploratory behaviour, experimental biases).
The TGR is based on the paper "Comprehensive thermal Preference Phenotyping in Mice using a Novel Automated Circular Gradient Assay”
The TGR can clearly discriminate temperature-dependent phenotypes or drug effects

Novel device, bias-free data, cost effective

The Thermal Gradient Ring has a 45 cm inner diameter, 57 cm outer diameter, and 24 cm height.
A camera is located on the upper side of the apparatus, which includes an infrared camera and an infrared transmissive inner wall.
In the TGR mice can freely move around the ring floor, thereby avoiding the stereotypical habit that mice have of staying in a corner, as occurs in rectangular systems.
The behavioral data is obtained by video-tracking and can be videotaped to then let the software automatically analyse the “spent time”, “travel distance” or “speed”.
A “preference temperature” can be defined as the mean value using the zone temperature and “spent time” and the % of time spent above this temperature will be automatically calculated.

Features & Benefits +-

Features	Benefits
New circular design, internal diameter 45cm, outer diameter 57cm	Duplicate values, no border effects, no spatial cues
Thermal Insulated Ring-shaped Aluminum Runway	More sensitive than previous methods: bias-free, reproducible data
Heater and cooler on opposite sides, to establish a symmetric gradient	Gradient setup superior to two-plate choice design
12 zones per side (specular), 40cm² each	Temperature Δ proportionally divided into 12 (in the method paper 15°C-40°C = 2.27°C per zone)
4 thermocouples embedded in the thermal gradient ring	The exact temperature gradient measured in real time
CCD-camera (included in the standard package, with its dedicated support) and ANYmaze video-tracking software	Behavior recorded automatically during 60 minutes
The system includes a set of 4 dual (visible/I.R.) lights	Ideal for videotracking: perfect view even in the dark

Specifications +-

General
Controls	Commands on the heater/cooler front panel
Preset Temperature Read-out	On LCD display on the front panel of the thermal units
Detection	Via ANY maze specific protocol for TGR
Sound
Power	Universal input 85-264 VAC, 50-60Hz, 40W max
Operation
Temperature Range	Heating Plate: from 20°C to 65°C Heating/cooling Plate: from 4°C to 65°C
Precision	0.5°C
Temperature feedback	By 4 thermocouples monitored in real time by ANYmaze
Light Intensity (I.R.)	Set by potentiometer with graded scale
Light Intensity (visible)	Set by potentiometer with graded scale
Physical
Internal diameter	45 cm
Outer diameter	57,5 cm
Corridor Width	6 cm
Wall Height	24 cm
Material	IR transparent acrylic
Dimensions	87x64x64(h)cm
Weight	39Kg
Shipping Weight	57Kg
Packing Dimensions	100x80x70(h)cm (wooden pallet)
Warranty
Warranty	35550 is covered by a 12-months warranty + 12 months after product registration
UB-Care	Additional UB-Care can be added for other 12 or 24 months

Application +-

"Currently available behavioral assays to quantify normal cold sensitivity, cold hypersensitivity and cold hyperalgesia in mice have created conflicting results in the literature.

Some only capture a limited spectrum of thermal experiences, others are prone to experimenter bias or are not sensitive enough to detect the contribution of ion channels to cold sensing because in mice smaller alterations in cold nociception do not manifest as frank behavioral changes.

To overcome current limitations, we have designed a novel device that is automated, provides a high degree of freedom, i.e. thermal choice, and eliminates experimenter bias. The device represents a thermal gradient assay designed as a circular running track. It allows discerning exploratory behavior from thermal selection behavior and provides increased accuracy by providing measured values in duplicate and by removing edge artifacts.

The assay delivers discrete information on a large range of parameters extracted from the occupancy of thermally defined zones such as preference temperature and skew of the distribution.

We demonstrate that the assay allows increasingly accurate phenotyping of thermal sensitivity in transgenic mice by disclosing yet unrecognized details on the phenotypes of TRPM8-, TRPA1- and TRPM8/A1-deficient mice." From "Comprehensive thermal preference phenotyping in mice using a novel automated circular gradient assay (Touska et al. 2016)"

Other scientists, like the M. Tominaga team in Japan, the R. Russo in Naples and the Tegeder team in Germany showed applications in Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain, TRP knock-out mice behaviors and testing of molecule candidates to interact with TRP receptors, which have been shown to be a valuable pharmacological option several therapeutic areas.

Ordering informations +-

35550 Thermal Gradient Ring
35550-001	Runway and Thermal Device Assembly
35550-035	Visibile and IR Light
35550-050	Light and Camera Support
35550-325	Camera
E-AU 101	USB Key including Instruction Manual
Control
60000	Dedicated Video-tracking Software