Rodent

Administering fixed oral doses of curcumin to rats through voluntary consumption

Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, has a wide variety of therapeutic benefits including antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and chemopreventative effects. Oral gavage is widely performed to administer curcumin in laboratory rodents in several experimental models. Although effective, this method can increase...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hocking, A. J., Elliot, D., Hua, J. et al. 2018. Administering fixed oral doses of curcumin to rats through voluntary consumption. JAALAS 57(5), 508–512.

Sex- and strain-related differences in the stress response of mice to CO₂ euthanasia

The 2013 edition of the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals recommends a 10% to 30% volume displacement rate (VDR) per minute for CO2 euthanasia of rodents. Here we sought to evaluate behavior and plasma catecholamine levels in multiple...

Year Published: 2018Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Creamer-Hente, M. A., Lao, F. K., Dragos, Z. P. et al. 2018. Sex- and strain-related differences in the stress response of mice to CO₂ euthanasia. JAALAS 57(5), 513–519.

Vibration-induced behavioral responses and response threshold in female C57BL/6 mice

Despite documented adverse effects, limits for rodent exposure to vibration in the laboratory animal facility have not been established. This study used female C57BL/6 mice to determine the frequencies of vibration at which mice were most sensitive to behavioral changes,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Garner, A. M., Norton, J. N., Kinard, W. L., et al. 2018. Vibration-induced behavioral responses and response threshold in female C57BL/6 mice. JAALAS 57(5), 447–455.

Evaluation of infrared thermography for temperature measurement in adult male NMRI nude mice

Temperature monitoring during critical care provides important data required to guide treatment delivery. Body temperature is an easily quantified clinical parameter that can yield much information concerning the health of an animal. In research settings, temperature has been adopted as...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Fiebig, K., Jourdan, T., Kock, M. H. et al. 2018. Evaluation of infrared thermography for temperature measurement in adult male NMRI nude mice. JAALAS 57(6), 715–724.

Interpreting neuroendocrine hormones, corticosterone, and blood glucose to assess the wellbeing of anesthetized rats during euthanasia

Current recommendations for assessing animal wellbeing during euthanasia suggest that measuring neuroendocrine hormones—such as ACTH, noradrenaline, and adrenaline—is preferable to measuring corticosterone and blood glucose because of the sensitivity of neuroendocrine hormones to the acute stress associated with rapid methods...

Year Published: 2018Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hickman D. L. 2018. Interpreting neuroendocrine hormones, corticosterone, and blood glucose to assess the wellbeing of anesthetized rats during euthanasia. JAALAS 57(6), 725–728.

Home cage compared with induction chamber for euthanasia of laboratory rats

This study compared behavioral and physiologic changes in Sprague–Dawley and Brown Norway rats that were euthanized by using a 30% volume displacement rate of CO2 in either their home cage or an induction chamber; rats euthanized in the home cage...

Year Published: 2018Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hickman D. L. 2018. Home cage compared with induction chamber for euthanasia of laboratory rats. JAALAS 57(6), 729–733.

Breaking up is hard to do: Does splitting cages of mice reduce aggression?

Injurious aggression in group housed male laboratory mice is a common welfare issue that can also negatively affect study outcomes. Often, one mouse in the cage appears unwounded, and the current standard practice is to remove this presumed aggressor. This...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Blankenberger, W. B., Weber, E. M., Chu, D. K. et al. 2018. Breaking up is hard to do: Does splitting cages of mice reduce aggression? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 206, 94-101.

Low welfare impact of noise: Assessment in an experimental model of mice infected by Herpes simplex-1

The breeding practices adopted and the equipment typically found in animal facilities produce sounds at frequencies within the auditory range of the mice (1 to 100 kHz), which can cause hearing and other non-hearing effects. Another aspect that could potentially...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Trindade Madeira Araújo, F., de Cássia Espírito Santo, L., Peixoto Teixeira, A. C. et al. 2018. Low welfare impact of noise: Assessment in an experimental model of mice infected by Herpes simplex-1. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 207, 79-88.

Standard laboratory housing for mice restricts their ability to segregate space into clean and dirty areas

Laboratory mice (Mus musculus) are typically housed in simple cages consisting of one open space. These standard cages may thwart mouse ability to segregate resting areas from areas where they eliminate, a behaviour that is prevalent across the animal kingdom....

Year Published: 2019Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Makowska, I. J., Franks, B., El-Hinn, C. et al. 2019. Standard laboratory housing for mice restricts their ability to segregate space into clean and dirty areas. Scientific Reports 9, 6179.

A sensitive scoring system for the longitudinal clinical evaluation and prediction of lethal disease outcomes in newborn mice

Neonatal animal models are increasingly employed in order to unravel age-specific disease mechanisms. Appropriate tools objectifying the clinical condition of murine neonates are lacking. In this study, we tested a scoring system specifically designed for newborn mice that relies on...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Fehlhaber, B., Heinemann, A. S., Rübensam, K. et al. 2019. A sensitive scoring system for the longitudinal clinical evaluation and prediction of lethal disease outcomes in newborn mice. Scientific Reports 9, 5919.