Rodent

The effect of light level, CO2 flow rate, and anesthesia on the stress response of mice during CO2 euthanasia

Euthanasia protocols are designed to mitigate the stress experienced by animals, and an environment that induces minimal stress helps achieve that goal. A protocol that is efficient and practical in a typical animal research facility is also important. Light intensity,...

Year Published: 2016Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Powell, K., Ethun, K., Taylor, D. K. 2016. The effect of light level, CO2 flow rate, and anesthesia on the stress response of mice during CO2 euthanasia. Lab Animal 45(10), 386-395.

Evaluation of buprenorphine hydrochloride Pluronic® gel formulation in male C57BL/6NCrl mice

Providing adequate analgesia while minimizing handling and stress post-surgery can be challenging. Recently, there have been commercial products made available for providing long acting analgesia in rodents. However, we find there are limitations for use in mice due to the...

Year Published: 2016Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Blankenship-Paris, T. L., Dutton, J. W., Goulding, D. R. et al. 2016. Evaluation of buprenorphine hydrochloride Pluronic® gel formulation in male C57BL/6NCrl mice. Lab Animal 45(10), 370-379.

The vest-collar as a rodent collar to prevent licking and scratching during experiments

Various types of restraint collars have been used for research animals, and the Elizabethan collar (E-collar) is the most commonly used. However, animals can be choked by the E-collar or they tend to remove it; furthermore, repeated rubbing and scratching...

Year Published: 2016Topics: External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jang, Y., Park, Y. E., Yun, C.-W. et al. 2016. The vest-collar as a rodent collar to prevent licking and scratching during experiments. Laboratory Animals 50(4), 296-304.

Effects of metabolic cage housing on rat behavior and performance in the social interaction test

Although the metabolic cage is commonly used for housing nonhuman animals in the laboratory, it has been recognized as constituting a unique stressor. Such an environment would be expected to affect behavioral change in animals housed therein. However, few studies...

Year Published: 2016Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Whittaker, A. L., Lymn, K. A., Howarth, G. S. 2016. Effects of metabolic cage housing on rat behavior and performance in the social interaction test. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(4), 363-374.

Instituting dark-colored cover to improve central space use within guinea pig enclosure

Domestic guinea pigs (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) in laboratories have been shown to actively avoid the centers of their cages. This experiment tested a novel, dark-colored “shader” placed over the central portion of a cage. Based on the observed behavior...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Byrd, C. P., Winnicker, C., Gaskill, B. N. 2016. Instituting dark-colored cover to improve central space use within guinea pig enclosure. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(4), 408-413.

Experimental control for the ovariectomized rat model: Use of sham versus nonmanipulated animal

One of 2 models required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for registration of a treatment for osteoporosis, the ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, is widely used in scientific studies investigating sex hormone-deficient bone loss. The use of control nonhuman...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, ReproductionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kruger, M. C., Morel, P. C. H. 2016. Experimental control for the ovariectomized rat model: Use of sham versus nonmanipulated animal. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(1), 73-80.

A deep neural network to assess spontaneous pain from mouse facial expressions

Grimace scales quantify characteristic facial expressions associated with spontaneous pain in rodents and other mammals. However, these scales have not been widely adopted largely because of the time and effort required for highly trained humans to manually score the images....

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

Citation: Tuttle, A. H., Molinaro, M. J., Jethwa, J. F. et al. 2018. A deep neural network to assess spontaneous pain from mouse facial expressions. Molecular Pain 14, 1-9.

Effects of daily restraint with and without injections on skeletal properties in C57BL/6NHsd mice

Studies typically involve groups of animals that are injected with placebo compounds. As there are studies that demonstrate that restraint and injection can affect behavior and corticosteroid levels in rodents, the basis of such placebo injections is to control for...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Larsen, R. A., Peveler, J. L., Klutzke, J. B. et al. 2017. Effects of daily restraint with and without injections on skeletal properties in C57BL/6NHsd mice. Lab Animal 46(7), 299-301.

A rat-friendly modification of the non-invasive tail-cuff to record blood pressure

In animal models, blood pressure measurement methods can be either invasive (direct) or non-invasive (indirect). The non-invasive alternative involves applying a tail-cuff for blood pressure measurement. Current standardized restraint methods involve confining the laboratory animal in plastic chambers, which can...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lipták, B., Kaprinay, B., Gáspárová, Z. 2017. A rat-friendly modification of the non-invasive tail-cuff to record blood pressure. Lab Animal 46(6), 251-253.

Refinements for embryo implantation surgery in the mouse: Comparison of injectable and inhalant anesthesias – tribromoethanol, ketamine and isoflurane – on pregnancy and pup survival

An essential aspect of genetically-engineered mice (GEM) is the ability to produce live animals after the appropriate injection procedure. Animals are produced by implantation of manipulated embryos into pseudopregnant females for gestation, parturition, and growth to the weaning stage. This...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Norton, W. B., Scavizzi, F., Smith, C. D. et al. 2016. Refinements for embryo implantation surgery in the mouse: Comparison of injectable and inhalant anesthesias – tribromoethanol, ketamine and isoflurane – on pregnancy and pup survival. Laboratory Animals 50(5), 335-343.