Rat

Stress-like responses to common procedures in rats: Effect of the estrous cycle

Witnessing decapitation of other rats induced cardiovascular responses which were not different from those of rats witnessing other procedures. The cardiovascular responses were not enhanced during proestrus estrus compared to metestrusdiestrus. There were also no significant effects of the estrous...

Year Published: 2002Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Sharp, J. L., Zammit, T. G., Lawson, D. M. 2002. Stress-like responses to common procedures in rats: Effect of the estrous cycle. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 41(4).

Dissociable effects of isolation rearing and environmental enrichment onexploration, spatial learning and HPA activity in adult rats

Environmental enrichment, regardless of social background, primarily accelerated habituation to novelty and improved spatial learning and memory.

Year Published: 2002Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Schrijver, N. C., Bahr, N. I., Weiss, I. C. et al. 2002. Dissociable effects of isolation rearing and environmental enrichment onexploration, spatial learning and HPA activity in adult rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 73, 209-224.

Environmental influences on functional outcome after a cortical infarct in the rat

We conclude that the beneficial effect of postischemic environmental enrichment is likely to be a combination of social and various physical activities.

Year Published: 2002Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Risedal, A., Mattsson, B., Dahlqvist, P. et al. 2002. Environmental influences on functional outcome after a cortical infarct in the rat. Brain Research Bulletin 58(3), 315-321.

Rats’ preferences for corn versus wood-based bedding and nesting materials

Corn by-products can be used as bedding and nesting products. Corn-cob bedding resists ammonia build-up and corn-husk nesting material resists dampness. It is not clear whether these advantages are at the expense of animal comfort. Corn cob was compared to...

Year Published: 2002Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ras, T., Van de Ven, M., Patterson-Kane, E. G. et al. 2002. Rats' preferences for corn versus wood-based bedding and nesting materials . Laboratory Animals 36, 420-425.

Variation in visual acuity within pigmented, and between pigmented and albino rat strains

we measured psychophysically the vertical grating acuity of three pigmented (Dark Agouti, Fisher-Norway, Long-Evans) and three albino (Fisher-344, Sprague-Dawley, Wistar) strains of laboratory rats, and compared their acuity with that of wild rats. The grating thresholds of Dark Agouti, Long-Evans...

Year Published: 2002Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Prusky, G. T., Harker, K. T., Douglas, R. M. et al. 2002. Variation in visual acuity within pigmented, and between pigmented and albino rat strains. Behavioral Brain Research 136, 339-348.

Rats demand social contact

Most of the rats in this experiment showed a persistent demand for social contact but not for physical cage improvements. These data suggest that social enrichment should be given the highest priority as a source of environmental enrichment for laboratory...

Year Published: 2002Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Patterson-Kane, E. G., Hunt, M., Harper, D. 2002. Rats demand social contact. Animal Welfare 11, 327-332.

Environmental enrichment for rats

My personal research has shown that as colony-dwelling animals, rats require contact with their own kind; as small burrowing animals they want a secure nest-box more than a novel object to investigate; as a prey species they prefer cages that...

Year Published: 2002Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Patterson-Kane, E. 2002. Environmental enrichment for rats. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 51(2), 9.

Cage size preference in rats in the laboratory

Ten rats of one strain and age showed they had a preference [p

Year Published: 2002Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Patterson-Kane, E. G. 2002. Cage size preference in rats in the laboratory. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 5, 63-72.

Music, immunity and cancer

The effects of music on the immune system and cancer development were evaluated in rodents subjected to sound stress. Animals were exposed daily to broad band noise around midnight and/or music for 5 hours on the following morning. Thymus and...

Year Published: 2002Animal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Nunez, M. J., Mana, P., Linares, D. et al. 2002. Music, immunity and cancer. Life Science 71, 1047-1057.

A gavage dosing apparatus with flexible catheter provides a less stressful gavage technique in the rat

Oral dosing of rats using a stainless-steel gavage needle can be difficult and, if done improperly, can cause esophageal puncture. The author describes the use of a gavage dosing apparatus that uses a flexible catheter rather than the traditional needle.

Year Published: 2002Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wheatley, J. L. 2002. A gavage dosing apparatus with flexible catheter provides a less stressful gavage technique in the rat. Lab Animal 31(7), 53-56.