Rodent

Enriching the matabolic cage: effects on rat physiology and behaviour

Metabolic cages are used for housing rats and mice for up to five days for collection of urine and/or faeces. The small, barren area of the metabolic cage compromises animal welfare as the animals lack a solid floor, shelter, nest...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Sorensen, D. B., Mortensen, K., Bertelsen, T. et al. 2008. Enriching the matabolic cage: effects on rat physiology and behaviour. Animal Welfare 17, 395-403.

Study of environmental enrichment for mice using a Nestpak?

The use of Nestpaks proved to be a useful environmental enrichment for our mice, causing them to work in nest construction from start to finish rather than having a nest pre-constructed.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Rustell, L. 2008. Study of environmental enrichment for mice using a Nestpak?. Animal Technology and Welfare 7(1), 21-23.

An investigation in the use of forage grains for laboratory rats

Small grains were scattered on the bedding rather than placed in food hopper. This added enrichment whilst maintaining the integrity of the study.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Rownetree, M. 2008. An investigation in the use of forage grains for laboratory rats. AATEX (Alternatives to Animal Testing and Experimentation) 14(Special Issue), 65-67.

An alternative method of rat restraint

Year Published: 2008Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Roberts, L., Dyson, M. 2008. An alternative method of rat restraint. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 13(6), 2.

Report of the 2006 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfaare Group meeting

A key aim of the group is to encourage people to think about the liftime experience of laboratory rodents, ensuring that every potential influence on their well-being has been reviewed and refined.

Year Published: 2008Animal Type: Rodent

Citation: Reed, B., Hawkins, P., Latham, N. et al. 2008. Report of the 2006 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfaare Group meeting. Lab Animal 37(5), 216-222.

Making a Home for Prairie Dogs through Environmental Enrichment

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Presa, M. F. 2008. Making a Home for Prairie Dogs through Environmental Enrichment. The Shape of Enrichment 17(3), no page numbers.

Decreased corticolimbic allopregnanolone expression during social isolation enhances contextual fear: A model relevant for posttraumatic stress disorder

Mice subjected to (3-4 weeks) exhibit enhanced contextual fear responses and impaired fear extinction. These responses are time-related to a decrease of 5alpha-reductase type I (5alpha-RI) and allopregnanolone (Allo) levels in selected neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and...

Year Published: 2008Animal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pibiri, F., Nelson, M., Guidotti, A. et al. 2008. Decreased corticolimbic allopregnanolone expression during social isolation enhances contextual fear: A model relevant for posttraumatic stress disorder. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences 105, 5567-5572.

Double-mouse perch designed as an enrichment and life-saving device

This device [suspended from wire grid] is a well-used form of enrichment and an effective life-saving platform during accidental cage flooding.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Phillips, K. A., King, G., Ibanez, A. et al. 2008. Double-mouse perch designed as an enrichment and life-saving device. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 95-96 (Abstract).

Setting the pace for retinal development: Environmental enrichment acts through insulin-like growth factor 1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Environmental enrichment strongly affects visual system maturation both at retinal and cortical levels. Which molecular pathways are activated by an enriched environment (EE) to regulate visual system development has not been clarified. Here, we show that early [postnatal day 1...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Landi S, Ciucci F, Maffei L, et al. 2009. Setting the pace for retinal development: Environmental enrichment acts through insulin-like growth factor 1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. J Neurosci. 29;10809-10819.

Enrichment from birth accelerates the functional and cellular development of a motor control area in the mouse

There is strong evidence that sensory experience in early life has a profound influence on the development of sensory circuits. Very little is known, however, about the role of experience in the early development of striatal networks which regulate both...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Simonetti, T., Lee, H., Bourke, M. et al. 2009. Enrichment from birth accelerates the functional and cellular development of a motor control area in the mouse. PLOS ONE 4, e6780.