Large-scale, high-throughput screening for coagulation and hematologic phenotypes in mice

The Mouse Phenome Project is an international effort to systematically gather phenotypic data for a defined set of inbred mouse strains. For such large-scale projects the development of high-throughput screening protocols that allow multiple tests to be performed on a single mouse is essential. Here we report hematologic and coagulation data for more than 30 inbred strains. Complete blood counts were performed using an Advia 120 analyzer. For coagulation testing, we successfully adapted the Dade Behring BCS automated coagulation analyzer for use in mice by lowering sample and reagent volume requirements. Seven automated assay procedures were developed. Small sample volume requirements make it possible to perform multiple tests on a single animal without euthanasia, while reductions in reagent volume requirements reduce costs. The data show that considerable variation in many basic hematological and coagulation parameters exists among the inbred strains. These data, freely available on the World Wide Web, allow investigators to knowledgeably select the most appropriate strain(s) to meet their individual study designs and goals.