Rat

Foraging enrichment for laboratory rats

The limited-access hopper had a tendency to reduce food consumption, but the time spent feeding encreased. The gnawing sticks provided the rats with the opportunity to gnaw, but did not affect other behaviours or body weight. The foraging device had...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Johnson, S. R., Patterson-Kane, E. G., Niel, L. 2004. Foraging enrichment for laboratory rats. Animal Welfare 13, 305-312.

Behavioural and welfare benefits using environmental enrichment for social housed rats

Constructing their own nests not only allowed the rats to engage in a species-typical behavior, which presumably enhanced their feeling of security, but it also reduced the incident of aggressive interactions.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Jegstrup, I. M., Ritskes-Hoitinga, M. 2004. Behavioural and welfare benefits using environmental enrichment for social housed rats. Proceedings of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations [FELASA] Symposium, 38-42.

Common variations in the pretest environment influence genotypic comparisons in models of anxiety

To this end, the inbred rat strains Lewis (LEW) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), which are known to differ for numerous emotionality-related behaviors, were tested in the open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and black/white box (BWB), while three...

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Izidio, G. S., Lopes, D. M., Spricigo, Jr. L. et al. 2004. Common variations in the pretest environment influence genotypic comparisons in models of anxiety. Genes, Brain and Behavior 4, 412-419.

Gene expression profiling in the intact and injured brain following environmental enrichment

The larger number of genes responsive to enrichment in the contralesional cortex (59 gene regulations) as compared to the analogous area (i.e. sensorimotor cortex) of the intact brain (17 gene regulations) likely reflects increased susceptibility for plastic changes due to...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Keyvani, K., Sachser, N., Witte, O. W. et al. 2004. Gene expression profiling in the intact and injured brain followingenvironmental enrichment. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 63, 598-609.

The welfare of laboratory rats

Review of environmental factors, including handling and husbandry practices affecting the well-being of rats.

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kaliste, E. , Mering, S. 2004. The welfare of laboratory rats. In: The Welfare of Laboratory Animals. Kaliste, E. (ed), 153-180. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Animal Research Review Panel [ARRP] Guideline 20: Guidelines for the Housing of Rats in Scientific Institutions – DRAFT

Very useful, practical guidelines for the species-appropriate care and housing of rats.

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: NewSouthWales [NSW] Agriculture 2004. Animal Research Review Panel [ARRP] Guideline 20: Guidelines for the Housing of Rats in Scientific Institutions - DRAFT. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW.

Effects of environmental enrichment on behavior and dopamine transporter function in medial prefrontal cortex in adult rats prenatally treated with cocaine

It was suggested that environmental enrichment attenuates the behavioral and neurochemical effects of prenatal cocaine.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Neugebauer, N. M., Cunningham, S. T., Zhu, J. et al. 2004. Effects of environmental enrichment on behavior and dopamine transporter function in medial prefrontal cortex in adult rats prenatally treated with cocaine. Brain research 153, 213-223.

Environmental enrichment during adolescence reverses the effects of prenatal stress on anxiety-related behaviour and stress in rats

Environmental enrichment during adolescence reverses the effects of prenatal stress on anxiety-related behavior.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Morley-Fletcher, S., Rea, M., Laviola, G. 2004. Environmental enrichment during adolescence reverses the effects of prenatal stress on anxiety-related behaviour and stress in rats. Animal Welfare 13(S), 251 (Abstract).

Rats socially-reared and full fed learned an autoshaping task, showing less levels of fear-like behaviour than fasted or singly-reared rats

During the learning of instrumental tasks, rats are usually fasted to increase reinforced learning. However, fasting produces several undesirable side effects. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that control rats, i.e. full-fed and group-reared rats, will...

Year Published: 2004Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Molina-Hernandez, M., T?llez-Alc?ntara, N. P. 2004. Rats socially-reared and full fed learned an autoshaping task, showing less levels of fear-like behaviour than fasted or singly-reared rats. Laboratory Animals 38, 236-245.

Enriched environment influences adrenocortical response to immune challenge and glutamate receptor gene expression in rat hippocampus

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether enriched rearingcould alter the stress response induced by repeated immune challenge and to investigate the influence of EE [environmental enrichment] and immune challenge on glutamate receptor gene expression in the hippocampus....

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Mlynarik, M., Johansson, B. B., Jezova, D. 2004. Enriched environment influences adrenocortical response to immune challenge and glutamate receptor gene expression in rat hippocampus. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1018(1), 273-280.