Rat

Individual housing does not influence the adaptation of the pituitary-adrenal axis and other physiological variables to chronic stress in adult male rats

Individually housed rats displayed a higher corticosterone stress response to 30-minute immobilization than group-housed rats.

Year Published: 1989Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Giralt, M., Armario, A. 1989. Individual housing does not influence the adaptation of the pituitary-adrenal axis and other physiological variables to chronic stress in adult male rats. Physiology and Behavior 45, 477-481.

Restricted daily exposure to environmental enrichment increases the diversity of exploration

Two hours of daily exposure to environmental enrichment produced similar object exploration effects than 24 hours of daily exposure.

Year Published: 1989Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Widman, D. R., Rosellini, R. A. 1989. Restricted daily exposure to environmental enrichment increases the diversity of exploration. Physiology and Behavior 47, 57-62.

Measurements of core temperature in spontaneously hypertensive rats by radiotelemetry

Handling and restraint can cause significant increases in core temperature. When SH [spontaneously hypertensive] rats are not stressed or disturbed, their core temperatures are not significantly different from that of normotensive WKY [Wistar-Kyoto] rats.

Year Published: 1990Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Berkey, D. L., Meeuwsen, K. W., Barney, C. C. 1990. Measurements of core temperature in spontaneously hypertensive rats by radiotelemetry. American Journal of Physiology 258, R743-749.

Activity patterns of rats (Rattus norvegicus) as a function of the cost of access to four resources

Wheel running seems to be a rewarding experience and subjects are bar pressing to obtain access to a wheel.

Year Published: 1990Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Collier, G. H., Johnson, D. E., Cybulski, KA. et al. 1990. Activity patterns of rats (Rattus norvegicus) as a function of the cost of access to four resources. Journal of Comparative Psychology 104, 53-65.

Stress hyperthermia: Physiological arguments that it is fever

Manual restraint increases body temperature in rats.

Year Published: 1991Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Briese, E., Cabanac, M. 1991. Stress hyperthermia: Physiological arguments that it is fever. Physiology and Behavior 49, 1153-1157.

Choice by rats for enriched versus standard home cages: Plastic pipes, wood platforms, wood chips, and paper towels as enrichment items

Most [of the individually tested male] rats preferred cages with wood platforms, wood chips, and paper towels to otherwise identical [barren, wire mesh] cages. .... Plastic pipes ... were not preferred by most animals. Both wood platforms and paper towels...

Year Published: 1991Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bradshaw, A. L., Poling, A. 1991. Choice by rats for enriched versus standard home cages: Plastic pipes, wood platforms, wood chips, and paper towels as enrichment items. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 55, 245-250.

Improved housing of mice, rats and guinea pigs: a contribution to the refinement of animal experimentation

It is suggested that the housing of laboratory rodents should be improved by the use of larger and moreappropriate cage types, as well as by reducing the monotonyof conventional housing systems... Guinea pigs readily chew softwood sticks.

Year Published: 1991Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Scharmann, W. 1991. Improved housing of mice, rats and guinea pigs: a contribution to the refinement of animal experimentation. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals [ATLA] 19, 108-114.

Communication between rats of experiment-induced stress and its impact on experimental results

Stressful experimental procedures can give rise to signals or odours that affect non-treated animals present in the same or adjacent room.

Year Published: 1992Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Beynen, A. C. 1992. Communication between rats of experiment-induced stress and its impact on experimental results. Animal Welfare 1, 153-159.

Increased plasma ACTH responses to stress in nonhandled compared with handled rats require basal levels of corticosterone and are associated with increased levels of ACTH secretagogues in the median eminence

Handling of rat pups produced siginificantly lower plasma ACTH responses to a variety of stressors compared to nonhandled pups.

Year Published: 1992Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Viau, V., Sharma, S., Plotsky, P. M. et al. 1992. Increased plasma ACTH responses to stress in nonhandled compared with handled rats require basal levels of corticosterone and are associated with increased levels of ACTH secretagogues in the median eminence. Journal of Neuroscience 113, 1097-1105.

Comparison of Sawdust Bedding and Wire Mesh As Cage Flooring in Preference Tests With Laboratory Rats

Rats preferred sawdust bedding and avoided cages with wire mesh or with a bare solid floor.

Year Published: 1993Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Blom, H. J. M., van Tintelen, G., Baumans, V. et al. 1993. Comparison of Sawdust Bedding and Wire Mesh As Cage Flooring in Preference Tests With Laboratory Rats. Ph.D. Thesis, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.