Rodent

Simultaneous assessment of spontaneous cage activity and voluntary wheel running in group-housed mice

Small animal models are frequently used to improve our understanding of the molecular and biological signaling pathways underlying the beneficial effects of physical activity and exercise. Unfortunately, when running wheels are employed, mice and rats are often kept single-housed to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive TestingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Reuser, A., Wenzel, K., Felix, S. B. et al. 2022. Simultaneous assessment of spontaneous cage activity and voluntary wheel running in group-housed mice. Scientific Reports 12(1), 4444.

Refined ways to pick up mice

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement of laboratory animal welfare, the North American 3Rs Collaborative (NA3RsC) brought together several experts to examine the evidence, impact, and practicality of alternative methods for picking up mice.

Year Published: 2022Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: LaFollette, M. R. 2022. Refined ways to pick up mice. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(2) (March/April), 46-48.

A new feeder device to provide cleaner and accessible diet gel to laboratory mice

Gel solutions are simple to use, have a relative long shelf life and can be delivered with plastic cups or pouches. A common issue encountered by many institutions is that the gel becomes soiled quickly due to multiple factors such...

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

Citation: Scorrano, F. 2022. A new feeder device to provide cleaner and accessible diet gel to laboratory mice. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(2) (March/April), 50-52.

Effects of hair removal creams on mouse skin

Human hair removal brands such as Nair™ are sometimes used in research to remove hair from mice before surgery, imaging, and other procedures.1,3 While the use of these depilatory creams in rodent research is relatively widespread, few studies have evaluated...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Reichert, M., Koewler, N., Hargis, A. M. et al. 2022. Effects of hair removal creams on mouse skin. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 46-47.

Effects of buprenorphine on model development in an adjuvant-induced monoarthritis rat model

Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in rats is a common animal model for studying chronic inflammatory pain. However, modelling of the disease is associated with unnecessary pain and impaired animal wellbeing, particularly in the immediate post-induction phase. Few attempts have...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Berke, M. S., Fensholdt, L. K. D., Hestehave, S. et al. 2022. Effects of buprenorphine on model development in an adjuvant-induced monoarthritis rat model. PLOS ONE 17(1), e0260356.

Effects of non-aversive versus tail-lift handling on breeding productivity in a C57BL/6J mouse colony

Non-aversive handling is a well-documented refinement measure for improving rodent welfare. Because maternal stress is related to reduced productivity, we hypothesized that welfare benefits associated with non-aversive handling would translate to higher production and fewer litters lost in a laboratory...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hull, M. A., Reynolds, P. S., Nunamaker, E. A. 2022. Effects of non-aversive versus tail-lift handling on breeding productivity in a C57BL/6J mouse colony. PLOS ONE 17(1), e0263192.

Voluntary wheel running behaviour as a tool to assess the severity in a mouse pancreatic cancer model

Laboratory animals frequently undergo routine experimental procedures such as handling, restraining and injections. However, as a known source of stress, these procedures potentially impact study outcome and data quality. In the present study, we, therefore, performed an evidence-based severity assessment...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weegh, N., Zentrich, E., Zechner, D. et al. 2021. Voluntary wheel running behaviour as a tool to assess the severity in a mouse pancreatic cancer model. PLOS ONE 16(12), e0261662.

Short-term housing in metabolic caging on measures of energy and fluid balance in male C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus)

Metabolic caging is an important tool for quantitative urine and feces collection in rodents, although significant limitations and problems accompany its use. Despite strong opinions among investigators regarding the effects of metabolic caging on energy and fluid homeostasis, careful quantitative...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Ziegler, A. A., Grobe, C. C., Reho, J. J. et al. 2022. Short-term housing in metabolic caging on measures of energy and fluid balance in male C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus). JAALAS 61(2), 132-139.

Ultrasonic vocalization analysis as a novel metric to assess cage enrichment in rats

Laboratory rodent housing conditions vary significantly across laboratories and facilities. Variation in housing can be associated with animal stress leading to study variability and the subsequent inability to replicate experimental findings. Optimization and standardization of animal housing are necessary to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bigelow, L. J., Cohen, A. J., Pimm, R. et al. 2022. Ultrasonic vocalization analysis as a novel metric to assess cage enrichment in rats. JAALAS 61(2), 140-148.

Characterization of a jumping stereotypy in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and assessment of opaque tubing enrichment on stereotypies and breeding

Mongolian gerbils can develop stereotypic behaviors, including corner digging. At our institution, gerbils also engage in repetitive corner jumping, which we sought to characterize as a potentially novel stereotypy in gerbils. We then attempted to mitigate this behavior by mimicking...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Habenicht, L. M., Staley, A. W., Clancy, B. M. et al. 2022. Characterization of a jumping stereotypy in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and assessment of opaque tubing enrichment on stereotypies and breeding. JAALAS 61(2), 149-158.