Rat

Refining housing, husbandry and care for animals used in studies involving biotelemetry

Biotelemetry can contribute towards reducing animal numbers and suffering in disciplines including physiology, pharmacology and behavioural research. However, the technique can also cause harm to animals, making biotelemetry a ‘refinement that needs refining'. Current welfare issues relating to the housing...

Year Published: 2014Topics: External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Cephalopod, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Chinchilla, Crocodile & Alligator, Crustacean, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Gibbon, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Insect & Spider, Invertebrate, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marine Mammal, Marmoset, Mink, Mole Rat, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Bird, Other Fish, Other Invertebrate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Parrot, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Salmon, Shark & Ray, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Tilapia, Trout, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Hawkins, P. 2014. Refining housing, husbandry and care for animals used in studies involving biotelemetry. Animals 4(2), 361-373.

Neurobehavioral effects of restricted and unpredictable environmental enrichment in rats

To study how motivational factors modulate experience-dependent neurobehavioral plasticity, we modify a protocol of environmental enrichment (EE) in rats. We assumed that the benefits derived from EE might vary according to the level of incentive salience attributed to it. To...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Rojas-Carvajal, M., Sequeira-Cordero, A., Brenes, J. C. 2020. Neurobehavioral effects of restricted and unpredictable environmental enrichment in rats. Frontiers in Pharmacology 11, 674.

Refinement as ethics principle in animal research: Is it necessary to standardize the environmental enrichment in laboratory animals?

The Environmental enrichment technique, although scientifically recognized for raising the level of animal welfare, has led to the questioning of its influence on the results of experimental research. Thus, the goal is to promote reflection about the need for standardization...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Fischer, M. L., Rodrigues, G. S., Aguero, W. P. et al. 2021. Refinement as ethics principle in animal research: Is it necessary to standardize the environmental enrichment in laboratory animals? Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 93(1), e20191526.

The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals

The measurement of pain in animals is surprisingly complex, and remains a critical issue in veterinary care and biomedical research. Based on the known utility of pain measurement via facial expression in verbal and especially non-verbal human populations, “grimace scales”...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat, Cattle, Equine, Ferret, Mouse, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep

Citation: Mogil, J. S., Pang, D. S. J., Silva Dutra, G. G. et al. 2020. The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 116, 480-496.

Voluntary exercise enhances hippocampal theta rhythm and cognition in the rat

Regular exercise promotes learning and memory functions. Theta activity is known to relate to various cognitive functions. An increase in theta power may be related to higher cognitive functioning and learning functions. However, evidence is lacking to directly confirm that...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Li, J.-Y., Kuo, T. B. J., Hung, C.-T. et al. 2021. Voluntary exercise enhances hippocampal theta rhythm and cognition in the rat. Behavioural Brain Research 399, 112916.

DIY: Creating a rat play cage

To provide extra enrichment for our training rats (Sprague Dawley; CRL: SD), our team discussed the idea of developing a rat play cage. Animals are housed in the Comparative Bioscience Center at The Rockefeller University, an AAALAC-accredited facility. All enrichment...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Monnas, J. 2021. DIY: Creating a rat play cage. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(2) (March/April), 46-48.

Loss of environmental enrichment elicits behavioral and physiological dysregulation in female rats

Chronic stress drives behavioral and physiological changes associated with numerous psychiatric disease states. In rodents, the vast majority of chronic stress models involve imposition of external stressors, whereas in humans stress is often driven by internal cues, commonly associated with...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Morano, R., Hoskins, O., Smith, B. L. et al. 2019. Loss of environmental enrichment elicits behavioral and physiological dysregulation in female rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 12, 287.

Behavioral and physiological consequences of enrichment loss in rats

Significant loss produces the highest degree of stress and compromised well-being in humans. Current rodent models of stress involve the application of physically or psychologically aversive stimuli, but do not address the concept of loss. We developed a rodent model...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Smith, B. L., Lyons, C. E., Correa, F. G. et al. 2017. Behavioral and physiological consequences of enrichment loss in rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 77, 37-46.

Individual differences in rat sensitivity to CO2

Feelings of fear, anxiety, dyspnea and panic when inhaling carbon dioxide (CO2) are variable among humans, in part due to differences in CO2 sensitivity. Rat aversion to CO2 consistently varies between individuals; this variation in aversion may reflect CO2 sensitivity,...

Year Published: 2021Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Améndola, L., Ratuski, A., Weary, D. M. 2021. Individual differences in rat sensitivity to CO2. PLOS ONE 16(1), e0245347.

Sustained release buprenorphine effectively attenuates postoperative hypersensitivity in an incisional pain model in neonatal rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Despite the need for safe and effective postoperative analgesia in neonates, research regarding pain management in neonatal rodents is relatively limited. Here, we investigate whether sustained release buprenorphine (Bup SR) effectively attenuates thermal hypersensitivity in a neonatal rat model of...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Blaney, A., Jampachaisri, K., Huss, M. K. et al. 2021. Sustained release buprenorphine effectively attenuates postoperative hypersensitivity in an incisional pain model in neonatal rats (Rattus norvegicus). PLOS ONE 16(2), e0246213.