Rat

Physiologic effects of housing rats in metabolic cages

Currently, metabolic cages (MC) are the only way to achieve serial sampling of urine and feces in rodents. However, the use of this caging creates a dramatic change from an animal's usual microenvironment. Here we sought to examine the effect...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Giral, M., Armengol, C., Gavaldà, A. 2022. Physiologic effects of housing rats in metabolic cages. Comparative Medicine 72(5), 298–305.

Exposure to an enriched environment exerts anxiolytic effects in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats

Exposure to an enriched environment (EE) has been reported to generate multiple beneficial effects in rodents, including – among the many – amelioration of anxiety-related behaviors. The present study investigated whether living in an EE produced anxiolytic effects also in...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lobina, C., Maccioni, P., Gessa, G. L. et al. 2023. Exposure to an enriched environment exerts anxiolytic effects in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Behavioural Brain Research 452, 114557.

Preterm rat survival is enhanced by gestational environmental enrichment

Throughout the last decade, the estimated global human preterm birth rate was 10.6 %, with higher rates in Asia, South America, and Africa. Preterm individuals, even in adulthood, are more likely to develop cardiorespiratory, renal, and metabolic disorders. On the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Núñez-Murrieta, M. A., Coria-Avila, G. A., Martínez, A. J. et al. 2023. Preterm rat survival is enhanced by gestational environmental enrichment. Behavioural Processes 205, 104820.

Atypical play experiences in the juvenile period has an impact on the development of the medial prefrontal cortex in both male and female rats

In rats reared without play, or with limited access to play during the juvenile period, the dendrites of pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) exhibit more branching than rats reared with more typical levels of play. This suggests...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stark, R. A., Brinkman, B., Gibb, R. L. et al. 2023. Atypical play experiences in the juvenile period has an impact on the development of the medial prefrontal cortex in both male and female rats. Behavioural Brain Research 439, 114222.

Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats

Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), sometimes referred to as 50-kHz vocalizations, during activities such as play and lower-frequency USVs, sometimes referred to as 22-kHz vocalizations, when experiencing distress. Definitions of 22-kHz vocalizations vary in terms of which frequencies should be...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lupfer, G., Brandenburger, A., Machado, M. et al. 2023. Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105881.

Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis

Over 120 million mice and rats are used annually in research, conventionally housed in shoebox-sized cages that restrict natural behaviours (e.g. nesting and burrowing). This can reduce physical fitness, impair thermoregulation and reduce welfare (e.g. inducing abnormal stereotypic behaviours). In...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cait, J., Cait, A., Scott, R. W. et al. 2022. Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis. BMC Biology 20(1), 15.

Evaluation of parameters which influence voluntary ingestion of supplements in rats

Drug safety and efficacy studies frequently use oral gavage, but repetitive usage may cause problems. Administration through voluntary ingestion represents an opportunity for refinement. We aimed to develop a protocol for voluntary ingestion of gelatin-based supplements in rats, assessing the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ruvira, S., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, P., Cañas, S. et al. 2023. Evaluation of parameters which influence voluntary ingestion of supplements in rats. Animals 13(11), 1827.

Studying and analyzing humane endpoints in the fructose-fed and streptozotocin-injected rat model of diabetes

This work aimed to define a humane endpoint scoring system able to objectively identify signs of animal suffering in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into control and induced group. The induced animals drink...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Silva-Reis, R., Faustino-Rocha, A. I., Silva, J. et al. 2023. Studying and analyzing humane endpoints in the fructose-fed and streptozotocin-injected rat model of diabetes. Animals 13(8), 1397.

Buprenorphine in rats: Potent analgesic or trigger for fatal side effects?

With ongoing animal welfare efforts, multimodal analgesia is often recommended to implement in study protocols. Buprenorphine with very potent analgesic effect is a standard opioid for the use in this context in rats. In this study, two rat strains (LEW/NHanZtm,...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Analgesia, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Reifenrath, J., Heider, M., Kempfert, M. et al. 2022. Buprenorphine in rats: Potent analgesic or trigger for fatal side effects? Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 64(1), 37.

The rough-and-tumble play of rats as a natural behavior suitable for studying the social brain

Laboratory rats have been an important model species with which to study the neurobiology of rough-and-tumble play (RTP). RTP in rats involves competition to gain access to the partner's nape of the neck, which is nuzzled with the snout if...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Pellis, S. M., Pellis, V. C., Ham, J. R. et al. 2022. The rough-and-tumble play of rats as a natural behavior suitable for studying the social brain. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 16, 1033999.