Rodent

Olfactory variation in mouse husbandry and its implications for refinement and standardization: UK survey of non-animal scents

With their highly sensitive olfactory system, the behaviour and physiology of mice are not only influenced by the scents of conspecifics and other species, but also by many other chemicals in the environment. The constraints of laboratory housing limit a...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: López-Salesansky, N., Mazlan, N. H., Whitfield, L. E. et al. 2016. Olfactory variation in mouse husbandry and its implications for refinement and standardization: UK survey of non-animal scents. Laboratory Animals 50(4), 286-295.

PhenoWorld: Addressing animal welfare in a new paradigm to house and assess rat behaviour

The use of animals is essential in biomedical research. The laboratory environment where the animals are housed has a major impact on them throughout their lives and influences the outcome of animal experiments. Therefore, there has been an increased effort...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Castelhano-Carlos, M. J., Baumans, V., Sousa, N. 2017. PhenoWorld: Addressing animal welfare in a new paradigm to house and assess rat behaviour. Laboratory Animals 51(1), 36-43.

Refinement of a model of repeated cerebrospinal fluid collection in conscious rats

The cannulation of the cisterna magna in rats for in vivo sampling of cerebrospinal fluid serves as a valuable model for studying the delivery of new drugs into the central nervous system or disease models. It offers the advantages of...

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

Citation: Amen, E. M., Brecheisen, M., Sach-Peltason, L. et al. 2017. Refinement of a model of repeated cerebrospinal fluid collection in conscious rats. Laboratory Animals 51(1), 44-53.

A less invasive method for orthotopic injection of breast cancer cells into the mouse mammary gland

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women, and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women in North America. The use of laboratory mice in research is an essential tool for the study...

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

Citation: Tavera-Mendoza, L. E., Brown, M. 2017. A less invasive method for orthotopic injection of breast cancer cells into the mouse mammary gland. Laboratory Animals 51(1), 85-88.

Analgesia in clinically relevant rodent models of sepsis

Postoperative analgesia in rodent sepsis models has been considerably neglected in the past. However, intentions to model clinical practice, increasing awareness of animal ethics, efforts to apply the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement), and stricter legislation argue for a change in...

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

Citation: Jeger, V., Hauffe, T., Nicholls-Vuille, F. et al. 2016. Analgesia in clinically relevant rodent models of sepsis. Laboratory Animals 50(6), 418-426.

Osteotomy models – the current status on pain scoring and management in small rodents

Fracture healing is a complex regeneration process which produces new bone tissue without scar formation. However, fracture healing disorders occur in approximately 10% of human patients and cause severe pain and reduced quality of life. Recently, the development of more...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lang, A., Schulz, A., Ellinghaus, A. et al. 2016. Osteotomy models – the current status on pain scoring and management in small rodents. Laboratory Animals 50(6), 433-441.

Morbidity scoring after abdominal surgery

Postoperative monitoring of pain and distress in small rodents is not standardized, and widely accepted score sheets are not available. Here we describe a score sheet used in abdominal surgery of rodents, with particular reference to procedures involving the liver.

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Graf, R., Cinelli, P., Arras, M. 2016. Morbidity scoring after abdominal surgery. Laboratory Animals 50(6), 453-458.

Recommendation for severity assessment following liver resection and liver transplantation in rats: Part I

Score sheets were first introduced 30 years ago to assess pain, distress and suffering in animals. To date, however, there is still no general agreement on their use in research practice, and only a few publications can be found on...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kanzler, S., Rix, A., Czigany, Z. et al. 2016. Recommendation for severity assessment following liver resection and liver transplantation in rats: Part I. Laboratory Animals 50(6), 459-467.

A highly efficient strategy to determine genotypes of genetically-engineered mice using genomic DNA purified from hair roots

Genotyping of genetically-engineered mice is necessary for the effective design of breeding strategies and identification of mutant mice. This process relies on the identification of DNA markers introduced into genomic sequences of mice, a task usually performed using the polymerase...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Otano-Rivera, V., Boakye, A., Grobe, N. et al. 2017. A highly efficient strategy to determine genotypes of genetically-engineered mice using genomic DNA purified from hair roots. Laboratory Animals 51(2), 138-146.

Sorting it out: Bedding particle size and nesting material processing method affect nest complexity

As part of routine husbandry, an increasing number of laboratory mice receive nesting material in addition to standard bedding material in their cages. Nesting material improves health outcomes and physiological performance in mice that receive it. Providing usable nesting material...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Robinson-Junker, A., Morin, A., Pritchett-Corning, K. et al. 2017. Sorting it out: Bedding particle size and nesting material processing method affect nest complexity. Laboratory Animals 51(2), 170-180.