Rodent

Retrospective descriptive report comparing access systems to refine intravenous self-administration in rats

For operant self-administration, permanent intravenous cannulas need to remain open and operational for months without infections or blockages. Here, we report retrospectively on our experiences and observations using different access systems during three studies. We identified a refined method for...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Cannulation, Catheterization, & Intubation, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lozeman-van ’t Klooster, J. G., Lesscher, H. M. 2025. Retrospective descriptive report comparing access systems to refine intravenous self-administration in rats. Laboratory Animals 59(3), 364–368.

Preceding sevoflurane inhalation in rats reduces the stress of intraperitoneal injection both in inexperienced experimenters and subject rats

In this study, we found that sevoflurane inhalation in rats prior to intraperitoneal injection decreased stress in both inexperienced experimenters and subject rats. Inexperienced experimenters anaesthetised male Sprague Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of anaesthetics, with or without preceding sevoflurane...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ishibashi, H., Motohashi, H. 2025. Preceding sevoflurane inhalation in rats reduces the stress of intraperitoneal injection both in inexperienced experimenters and subject rats. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 272–275.

Current practices of pain assessment and analgesic use in laboratory mice: A 2022 FELASA Working Group survey

Assessing and alleviating pain in animals involved in research is critically important. However, the effective implementation of pain management depends on the knowledge and attitudes of the personnel involved. Following a Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations ‘Pain in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gomez de Segura, I. A., Seeldrayers, S., Flecknell, P. 2025. Current practices of pain assessment and analgesic use in laboratory mice: A 2022 FELASA Working Group survey. Laboratory Animals 59(3), 396–412.

Extended oxygen supplementation after thoracotomy in rats may improve welfare

A retrospective comparison of welfare indicators in male rats undergoing thoracotomy for intrapleural dosing is presented. The initial cohort (n = 7) breathed room air after recovery from anaesthesia, while later cohorts (n = 12) had oxygen supplementation for up to 48 h post-surgery....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Few, B., Dugdale, A. 2025. Extended oxygen supplementation after thoracotomy in rats may improve welfare. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 283–289.

Mouse aversion to induction with isoflurane using the drop method

Isoflurane anesthesia prior to carbon dioxide euthanasia is recognized as a refinement by many guidelines. Facilities lacking access to a vaporizer can use the “drop” method, whereby liquid anesthetic is introduced into an induction chamber. Knowing the least aversive concentration...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bodnar, M. J., Makowska, I. J., Boyd, C. T. et al. 2025. Mouse aversion to induction with isoflurane using the drop method. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 169–177.

Environmental enrichment attenuates reproductive adversity in a mouse model of Parkinson disease

Environmental enrichment is the provision of different substrates to mimic an animal’s natural environment and encourage natural, species-specific behavior. However, the use of enrichment to improve breeding efficiency in mouse models for neurologic conditions is not well described. There are...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Walsh, C. A., Johnson, L., Cirillo, P. A. et al. 2025. Environmental enrichment attenuates reproductive adversity in a mouse model of parkinson disease. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(1), 58–63.

Hypothermia as a sole euthanasia method for neonatal mice (Mus musculus)

Per the AVMA euthanasia guidelines, there are no data supporting the use of hypothermia as a solitary method of euthanasia for neonatal mice. However, the use of a secondary physical method of euthanasia, such as decapitation, could be time-consuming and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tang, N.-K., Theil, J. H., Oates, R. S. 2025. Hypothermia as a sole euthanasia method for neonatal mice (Mus musculus). Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(3), 500–506.

Pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of precise voluntary consumption compared to subcutaneous administration of cephalosporins in rats following orthopedic surgery

The administration of antibiotics is a critical variable when developing animal models of infection. Handling and needle use, however, can cause distress in the animals, leading not only to irritability of the animal but potentially skewed inflammatory data in studies...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Shiels, S. M., Sandoval, C. M., Riddle, L. E. et al. 2025. Pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of precise voluntary consumption compared to subcutaneous administration of cephalosporins in rats following orthopedic surgery. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(3), 385–392.

Gavage-needle voluntary consumption administration of a dose-specific measure to mice (Mus musculus)

Orogastric gavage is a common technique used to administer test articles to rodents with risks ranging from increased stress to death of the animal. In this study, we propose a novel technique to administer treatments to mice for voluntary consumption...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Punger, E. M., Norris, S. L., Stevens, S. C. et al. 2025. Gavage-needle voluntary consumption administration of a dose-specific measure to mice (Mus musculus). Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(2), 287–293.

Opinion: Ethical challenges in depression research: The tail suspension test, the forced swim test, and alternative behavioral models

Behavioral tests in laboratory animals, particularly rodents, are considered vital for understanding the mechanisms underlying depression and evaluating potential treatments. However, ethical concerns regarding the use of traditional methods, such as the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive TestingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Mohseni, F., Rafaiee, R. 2025. Opinion: Ethical challenges in depression research: The tail suspension test, the forced swim test, and alternative behavioral models. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(3), 352–355.