Disease/Experimental Model

Behavioral assessment of tramadol and meloxicam effects on postoperative pain in a rat craniotomy model

Stereotaxic surgery is a common procedure in neuroscience, yet effective analgesic protocols require further study and refinement to optimize the analgesia used in invasive procedures and to improve animal welfare. This study evaluated the effects of tramadol and meloxicam, alone...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Alemán-Laporte, J., Alvarado, G., Pellagio, N. B. et al. 2025. Behavioral assessment of tramadol and meloxicam effects on postoperative pain in a rat craniotomy model. JAALAS 64(4), 716–725.

Maintenance of the Brugia Malayi life cycle in Mongolian gerbils

The Mongolian gerbil or jird (Meriones unguiculatus) is a rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. They are commonly used as models for a variety of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis E virus and Giardia lamblia. At the LSTM/University of Liverpool...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Cannulation, Catheterization, & Intubation, Disease/Experimental Model, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Steven, A. 2025. Maintenance of the Brugia Malayi life cycle in Mongolian gerbils. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 155–156.

Housing in a large open cage did not affect the phenotypic traits of obese male Zucker fa/fa rats when compared to IVC-housed rats, but improved the rats’ well-being

The housing of laboratory rats in cages with dimensions according to international standards for research animals can hardly be regarded as a stimulating environment, even when fulfilling the minimum requirements for environmental enrichment. Little is known about whether changes in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gudbrandsen, O. A. 2025. Housing in a large open cage did not affect the phenotypic traits of obese male Zucker fa/fa rats when compared to IVC-housed rats, but improved the rats’ well-being. Animals 15(18), 2687.

Wound localization and housing conditions dictate repair dynamics and scar formation

Wound healing is a highly orchestrated process involving diverse cells and molecular interplays. Although wound healing assays are commonly used in the field of tissue repair, these experiments exhibit high variability due to their multifactorial nature, with many design factors...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Yampolsky, M., Bachelet, I., Fuchs, Y. 2025. Wound localization and housing conditions dictate repair dynamics and scar formation. Lab Animal 54(3), 68–73.

Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings

Background Dental disease is a common but often under-recognised condition in horses, possibly due to an inability to recognise clinical signs of oral discomfort. Some dental disorders are reportedly more painful than others, but there is no current metric by...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Sidwell, A. E., Duz, M., Hill, B. et al. 2025. Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings. Veterinary Record 196(3), e4800.

Contactless body temperature assessment for signalling humane endpoints in a mouse model of sepsis

Minimising suffering is an ethical and legal requirement in animal research. This is particularly relevant for research on animal models of sepsis and septic shock, which show rapid progression towards severe stages and death. Specific and reliable criteria signalling non-recovery...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Miranda, C., Oliveira, L., Carmo, A. M. et al. 2025. Contactless body temperature assessment for signalling humane endpoints in a mouse model of sepsis. Animal Welfare 34, e13.

Implementing refinement in the EAE mouse model (2025)

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model used in rodents to induce inflammation in the central nervous system. It is commonly used as a model for human multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases that involve demyelination. EAE has the potential...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kuncova, S. 2025. Implementing refinement in the EAE mouse model. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(1), 57–61.

Burrowing behavior as robust parameter for early humane endpoint determination in murine models for pancreatic cancer (2025)

Due to late-stage diagnoses and limited treatment options, pancreatic cancer is predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths by 2030. Many different murine models were developed over the past decades to test new therapies for this tumor...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Brandstetter, J., Hoffmann, L., Koopmann, I. et al. 2025. Burrowing behavior as robust parameter for early humane endpoint determination in murine models for pancreatic cancer. Animals 15(9), 1241.

Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model

Despite the international effort to improve laboratory animal welfare through the 3R principles (Reduce, Refine, Replace), many scientists still fail to implement and report their assessment of pain and well-being, likely due to concerns regarding the potential effects of analgesics...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental Model, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weiß, E., Pauletti, A., Egilmez, A. et al. 2024. Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model. Scientific Reports 14(1), 30563.

Adaptive wheel exercise for mouse models of Parkinson’s Disease

Background: Physical exercise has been extensively studied for its therapeutic properties in neurological disease, particularly Parkinson's Disease (PD). However, the established techniques for exercise in mice are not well suited to motor-deficient disease-model animals, rely on spontaneous activity or force...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Skelton, H., Grogan, D., Kotlure, A. et al. 2025. Adaptive wheel exercise for mouse models of Parkinson's Disease. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 414, 110314.