Rodent

PiDose: An open-source system for accurate and automated oral drug administration to group-housed mice

Drug treatment studies in laboratory mice typically employ manual administration methods such as injection or gavage, which can be time-consuming to perform over long periods and cause substantial stress in animals. These stress responses may mask or enhance treatment effects,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Woodard, C. L., Nasrallah, W. B., Samiei, B. V. et al. 2020. PiDose: An open-source system for accurate and automated oral drug administration to group-housed mice. Scientific Reports 10, 11584.

Nest material preference of wild mouse species in laboratory housing

Our research examined the nest-building characteristics of two mouse species native to Hungary, the mound-building mouse (Mus spicilegus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus), under laboratory housing conditions. In indoor housing, the nest-building material plays a very important role in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bárdos, B., Nagy, I., Gerencsér, Z. et al. 2022. Nest material preference of wild mouse species in laboratory housing. Applied Sciences 12(11), 5750.

BrainWAVE: A flexible method for noninvasive stimulation of brain rhythms across species

Rhythmic neural activity, which coordinates brain regions and neurons to achieve multiple brain functions, is impaired in many diseases. Despite the therapeutic potential of driving brain rhythms, methods to noninvasively target deep brain regions are limited. Accordingly, we recently introduced...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: All/General, Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Attokaren, M. K., Jeong, N., Blanpain, L. et al. 2023. BrainWAVE: A flexible method for noninvasive stimulation of brain rhythms across species. ENeuro 10(2) ENEURO.0257-22.2022.

Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats

Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), sometimes referred to as 50-kHz vocalizations, during activities such as play and lower-frequency USVs, sometimes referred to as 22-kHz vocalizations, when experiencing distress. Definitions of 22-kHz vocalizations vary in terms of which frequencies should be...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lupfer, G., Brandenburger, A., Machado, M. et al. 2023. Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105881.

Species specific differences in short-term behavioral reaction of voles to cage elements removal

The welfare of animals used in scientific experiments should be one of the most important things to take care of. Many kinds of research show that the enriching elements can help animals to fulfil their natural behaviour. However, those studies...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Kapusta, J., Siewierska, D., Kruczek, M. et al. 2023. Species specific differences in short-term behavioral reaction of voles to cage elements removal. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105899.

Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis

Over 120 million mice and rats are used annually in research, conventionally housed in shoebox-sized cages that restrict natural behaviours (e.g. nesting and burrowing). This can reduce physical fitness, impair thermoregulation and reduce welfare (e.g. inducing abnormal stereotypic behaviours). In...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cait, J., Cait, A., Scott, R. W. et al. 2022. Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis. BMC Biology 20(1), 15.

Decreased levels of discomfort in repeatedly handled mice during experimental procedures, assessed by facial expressions

Mice are the most commonly used laboratory animal, yet there are limited studies which investigate the effects of repeated handling on their welfare and scientific outcomes. Furthermore, simple methods to evaluate distress in mice are lacking, and specialized behavioral or...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Swan, J., Boyer, S., Westlund, K. et al. 2023. Decreased levels of discomfort in repeatedly handled mice during experimental procedures, assessed by facial expressions. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17, 1109886.

RELSA—A multidimensional procedure for the comparative assessment of well-being and the quantitative determination of severity in experimental procedures

Good science in translational research requires good animal welfare according to the principles of 3Rs. In many countries, determining animal welfare is a mandatory legal requirement, implying a categorization of animal suffering, traditionally dominated by subjective scorings. However, how such...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Talbot, S. R., Struve, B., Wassermann, L. et al. 2022. RELSA—A multidimensional procedure for the comparative assessment of well-being and the quantitative determination of severity in experimental procedures. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 937711.

Minimising aggression in CD-1 and CD-1 background male mice with different enrichment types

Cage-mate aggression is a well-known problem that is more prevalent in certain strains of mice and is one of the most common reasons for single housing, increased stress levels, premature death and euthanasia. Numerous methods can be implemented to ameliorate...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Veness, A., Coyle, C., Murphy, S. et al. 2023. Minimising aggression in CD-1 and CD-1 background male mice with different enrichment types. Animal Technology and Welfare 22(1), 74–76.

Are mirrors aversive or rewarding for mice? Insights from the mirror preference test

Research investigating the effects of mirror exposure in mice found that the presence of mirrors has similar effects to the presence of cage mates. Restraint in a small holder induces hyperthermia (stress-induce hyperthermia: SIH) in mice but a restrained mouse...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Watanabe, S. 2023. Are mirrors aversive or rewarding for mice? Insights from the mirror preference test. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17, 1137206.