Rodent

Refining housing, husbandry and care for animals used in studies involving biotelemetry

Biotelemetry can contribute towards reducing animal numbers and suffering in disciplines including physiology, pharmacology and behavioural research. However, the technique can also cause harm to animals, making biotelemetry a ‘refinement that needs refining'. Current welfare issues relating to the housing...

Year Published: 2014Topics: External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Cephalopod, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Chinchilla, Crocodile & Alligator, Crustacean, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Gibbon, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Insect & Spider, Invertebrate, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marine Mammal, Marmoset, Mink, Mole Rat, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Bird, Other Fish, Other Invertebrate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Parrot, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Salmon, Shark & Ray, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Tilapia, Trout, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Hawkins, P. 2014. Refining housing, husbandry and care for animals used in studies involving biotelemetry. Animals 4(2), 361-373.

Neurobehavioral effects of restricted and unpredictable environmental enrichment in rats

To study how motivational factors modulate experience-dependent neurobehavioral plasticity, we modify a protocol of environmental enrichment (EE) in rats. We assumed that the benefits derived from EE might vary according to the level of incentive salience attributed to it. To...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Rojas-Carvajal, M., Sequeira-Cordero, A., Brenes, J. C. 2020. Neurobehavioral effects of restricted and unpredictable environmental enrichment in rats. Frontiers in Pharmacology 11, 674.

A novel dietary restriction method for group-housed rats: Weight gain and clinical chemistry characterization

Laboratory rodents are usually fed ad libitum. Moderate dietary restriction decreases mortality and morbidity compared with ad libitum feeding. There are, however, problems in achieving dietary restriction. Traditional methods of restricted feeding may interfere with the diurnal rhythms of the...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kasanen, I. H. E., Inhilä, K. J., Nevalainen, J. I. et al. 2009. A novel dietary restriction method for group-housed rats: Weight gain and clinical chemistry characterization. Laboratory Animals 43, 138-148.

Refinement as ethics principle in animal research: Is it necessary to standardize the environmental enrichment in laboratory animals?

The Environmental enrichment technique, although scientifically recognized for raising the level of animal welfare, has led to the questioning of its influence on the results of experimental research. Thus, the goal is to promote reflection about the need for standardization...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Fischer, M. L., Rodrigues, G. S., Aguero, W. P. et al. 2021. Refinement as ethics principle in animal research: Is it necessary to standardize the environmental enrichment in laboratory animals? Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 93(1), e20191526.

Preclinical validation of the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method in the maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental disorders

Pharmacological treatments in laboratory rodents remain a cornerstone of preclinical psychopharmacological research and drug development. There are numerous ways in which acute or chronic pharmacological treatments can be implemented, with each method having certain advantages and drawbacks. Here, we describe...

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

Citation: Scarborough, J., Mueller, F., Arban, R. et al. 2020. Preclinical validation of the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method in the maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 88, 461-470.

The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals

The measurement of pain in animals is surprisingly complex, and remains a critical issue in veterinary care and biomedical research. Based on the known utility of pain measurement via facial expression in verbal and especially non-verbal human populations, “grimace scales”...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat, Cattle, Equine, Ferret, Mouse, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep

Citation: Mogil, J. S., Pang, D. S. J., Silva Dutra, G. G. et al. 2020. The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 116, 480-496.

Voluntary exercise enhances hippocampal theta rhythm and cognition in the rat

Regular exercise promotes learning and memory functions. Theta activity is known to relate to various cognitive functions. An increase in theta power may be related to higher cognitive functioning and learning functions. However, evidence is lacking to directly confirm that...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Li, J.-Y., Kuo, T. B. J., Hung, C.-T. et al. 2021. Voluntary exercise enhances hippocampal theta rhythm and cognition in the rat. Behavioural Brain Research 399, 112916.

Where are you from? Female mice raised in enriched or conventional cages differ socially, and can be discriminated by other mice

Laboratory rodents raised in environmentally-enriched (EE) cages differ behaviourally and cognitively from conventionally-housed (CH) animals. We hypothesised that mice can detect such differences, testing this using differentially-raised female C57BL/6 s as subjects, and differentially-raised female BALB/cs and DBA/2 s as...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Adcock, A., Choleris, E., Denommé, M. et al. 2021. Where are you from? Female mice raised in enriched or conventional cages differ socially, and can be discriminated by other mice. Behavioural Brain Research 400, 113025.

Regular touchscreen training affects faecal corticosterone metabolites and anxiety-like behaviour in mice

Automated touchscreen techniques find increasing application for the assessment of cognitive function in rodents. However, hardly anything is known about the potential impact of touchscreen-based training and testing procedures on the animals under investigation. Addressing this question appears particularly important...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Krakenberg, V., Wewer,M., Palme, R. et al. 2021. Regular touchscreen training affects faecal corticosterone metabolites and anxiety-like behaviour in mice. Behavioural Brain Research 401, 113080.

DIY: Creating a rat play cage

To provide extra enrichment for our training rats (Sprague Dawley; CRL: SD), our team discussed the idea of developing a rat play cage. Animals are housed in the Comparative Bioscience Center at The Rockefeller University, an AAALAC-accredited facility. All enrichment...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Monnas, J. 2021. DIY: Creating a rat play cage. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(2) (March/April), 46-48.