Rat

Warning! Nearby construction can profoundly affect your experiments

This is meant to alert people to potentially major effects of construction projects on research results. Because we study the effects of stress on regulation of ACTH and corticosterone secretion and of serotonin receptors and stress on energy balance, we...

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Dallman, M. F., Akana, S. F., Bell, M. E. et al. 1999. Warning! Nearby construction can profoundly affect your experiments. Endocrine 11, 111-113.

Behavioral indexes of poor welfare in laboratory rats

Fearfulness associated with single-housing was alleviated by pair-housing, and even further alleviated by group-housing in enriched cages. Problem solving ability was improved when rats were kept in groups in enriched cages rather than in barren single cages.

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Patterson-Kane, E. G., Hunt, M., Harper, D. N. 1999. Behavioral indexes of poor welfare in laboratory rats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 2, 97-110.

Enriched environment increases neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrusand improves spatial memory

The results suggest that environmental cues can enhance neurogenesis in the adult hippocampal region, which is associated with improved spatial memory.

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Nilsson, M., Perfilieva, E., Johansson, U. et al. 1999. Enriched environment increases neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrusand improves spatial memory. Journal of Neurobiology 39(4), 469-578.

The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals (7th ed): The Laboratory Rat

Description of rat-adequate housing is discussed.

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Koolhaas, J. M. 1999. The Laboratory Rat. In: The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals (7th ed). Poole, T. , English, P. (eds), 313-330. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK.

Housing and welfare in laboratory rats: effects of cage stocking density and behavioural predictors of welfare

Using male and female Alderley Park (Wistar-derived) rats housed in single-sex groups in standard laboratory cages, we looked at the effect of group size (one, three, five or eight) on competitive behaviour and time budgeting (initial and longer term), changes...

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hurst, J. L., Barnard, C. J., Tolladay, U. et al. 1999. Housing and welfare in laboratory rats: effects of cage stocking density and behavioural predictors of welfare . Animal Behaviour 58, 563-586.

Inexpensive ideas for rabbit and rodent environmental enrichment

Paper towel rolls were successfully used as environmental enrichment objects for rats, mice and rabbits.

Year Published: 1999Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Racciato, J., Noll, L. 1999. Inexpensive ideas for rabbit and rodent environmental enrichment. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 4(1), 3.

Environmental enrichment inhibits spontaneous apoptosis, prevents seizures and is neuroprotective

Here we show that in addition to its effects on neurogenesis, an enriched environment reduces spontaneous apoptotic cell death in the rat hippocampus by 45%.

Year Published: 1999Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Young, D., Lawlor, P. A., Leone, P. et al. 1999. Environmental enrichment inhibits spontaneous apoptosis, preventsseizures and is neuroprotective. Nature Medicine 5, 448-453.

Diet restriction through hopper design

Group-housed rats were induced to 'work' for their food by soldering metal plates over their food hoppers, so that only 3% of the original area remains available. The animals fed for longer periods and rested less during the night, but...

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wrightson, D., Dickson, C. 1999. Diet restriction through hopper design. Animal Technology 50, 45-46.

Behavioural and glial changes in old rats following environmental enrichment

Results confirm the aging-related acquisition and memory deficit. EC reduced the slowness of acquisition, reversed the short-term memory deficit and promoted the retention of the short signal (choose short effect).

Year Published: 1999Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Soffie. M., Hahn, K., Terao, E. et al. 1999. Behavioural and glial changes in old rats following environmental enrichment. Behavioral Brain Research 101, 37-49.

Housing familiar male wildtype rats together reduces the long-term adverse behavioural and physiological effects of social defeat

Social stress in rats is known to induce long-lasting, adverse changes in behaviour and physiology, which seem to resemble certain human psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety. The present experiment was designed to assess the influence of individual or group...

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ruis MA, te Brake JH, Buwalda B et al. 1999. Housing familiar male wildtype rats together reduces the long-term adverse behavioural and physiological effects of social defeat. Psychoneuroendocrinology 24(3), 285-300.