Rat

Effects of acute stress on serum LH and prolactin in intact, castrate and dexamethasone-treated male rats

Placing rats into transfer boxes and moving them to another room triggers a significant rise in plasma prolactin and LH.

Year Published: 1975Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Euker, J. S., Meites, J., Riegle, G. D. 1975. Effects of acute stress on serum LH and prolactin in intact, castrate and dexamethasone-treated male rats. Endocrinology 96, 85-92.

The rat’s long-term preference for complexity in its environment

Single-housed rats demonstrated a marked preference for high complexity during 'day' conditions probably because spatial complexity elicited shelter/relaxation responses. Complexity seemed to reduce the arousal level of the subject. .... The most attractive compartment [of the test cage], in terms...

Year Published: 1975Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Denny, M. S. 1975. The rat's long-term preference for complexity in its environment. Animal Learning and Behavior 3, 245-249.

Effects of environment on morphology of rat cerebral cortex andhippocampus

Cortical depth differences were found between male rats exposed to enriched or impoverished environmental conditions for successively shorter times.

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Diamond, M. C., Ingham, C. A., Johnson, R. E. et al. 1976. Effects of environment on morphology of rat cerebral cortex andhippocampus. Journal of Neurobiology 7, 75-85.

Opportunity for interaction as reinforcer in a T-maze

Used 2 forms of handling as reinforcement in a 'T' maze for 34 male Sprague-Dawley albino rats. In a 12-day experiment, those receiving gentling learned to avoid reinforcement, while those receiving fondling learned to obtain it. In a 6-day follow-up,...

Year Published: 1976Topics: Handling, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Werner, C., Anderson, D. F. 1976. Opportunity for interaction as reinforcer in a T-maze. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin 2, 166-169.

Attenuation of gastric lesions by psychological aspect of aggression in rats

In a study with 80 male albino rats, Ss that fought with each other in response to electric shock showed reduced gastric lesions in comparison with Ss that received the same shocks alone so that fighting behavior did not occur....

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Weiss, J. M., Pohorecky, L. A., Salman, S. et al. 1976. Attenuation of gastric lesions by psychological aspect of aggression in rats. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 90, 252-259.

Adaptation of the glucocorticosterone response to novelty

Novelty of the environment is a powerful stimulus to activate the pituitary-adrenal axis. With respect to adaptation of the response to the novel environment, the present findings suggest that more than 2 hr and up to 4 hr is required...

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Pfister, H. P., King, M. G. 1976. Adaptation of the glucocorticosterone response to novelty. Physiology and Behavior 17, 43-46.

Incidence of pup mortality in the rat with particular reference to nesting material, maternal age and parity

Better breeding results were obtained when animals had access to woodwool instead of paper tissue as nesting materials. With paper tissues for nesting purposes 60% of the young were lost compared with 18% with woodwool.

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Norris, M. L., Adams, C. E. 1976. Incidence of pup mortality in the rat with particular reference to nesting material, maternal age and parity. Laboratory Animals 10, 165-169.

Habituation of object contact in socially-reared and isolated rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Rats reared in social isolation were found to contact fewer novel objects in an open-field than their socially reared litter mates. They also contacted a smaller variety of objects, and contacted them in different ways. Social animals showed more manipulatory...

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Einon, D., Morgan, M. 1976. Habituation of object contact in socially-reared and isolated rats (Rattus norvegicus). Animal Behaviour 24, 415-420.

The effects of short-term isolation on systolic blood pressure and heart rate in rats

Rats in metabolic cages develop hypertension within five days.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gardiner, S. M., Bennett, T. 1977. The effects of short-term isolation on systolic blood pressure and heart rate in rats. Medical Biology 55, 325-329.

Impoverished rats weigh more than enriched rats because they eat more

Rats housed in barren environments consume more food due to boredom and are heavier than enriched rats.

Year Published: 1977Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Fiala, B., Snow, F. M., Greenough, W. T. 1977. Impoverished rats weigh more than enriched rats because they eat more. Developmental Psychobiology 10, 537-541.