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Brajon S, Morello GM, Capas-Peneda S, Hultgren J, Gilbert C, Olsson A. All the Pups We Cannot See: Cannibalism Masks Perinatal Death in Laboratory Mouse Breeding but Infanticide Is Rare. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2327. [PMID: 34438784 PMCID: PMC8388445 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Perinatal mortality is a major issue in laboratory mouse breeding. We compared a counting method using daily checks (DAILY_CHECK) with a method combining daily checks with detailed video analyses to detect cannibalisms (VIDEO_TRACK) for estimating the number of C57BL/6 pups that were born, that died and that were weaned in 193 litters from trios with (TRIO-OVERLAP) or without (TRIO-NO_OVERLAP) the presence of another litter. Linear mixed models were used at litter level. To understand whether cannibalism was associated with active killing (infanticide), we analysed VIDEO_TRACK recordings of 109 litters from TRIO-OVERLAP, TRIO-NO_OVERLAP or SOLO (single dams). We used Kaplan-Meier method and logistic regression at pup level. For DAILY_CHECK, the mean litter size was 35% smaller than for VIDEO_TRACK (p < 0.0001) and the number of dead pups was twice lower (p < 0.0001). The risk of pup loss was higher for TRIO-OVERLAP than TRIO-NO_OVERLAP (p < 0.0001). A high number of pup losses occurred between birth and the first cage check. Analyses of VIDEO_TRACK data indicated that pups were clearly dead at the start of most of the cannibalism events and infanticide was rare. As most pups die and disappear before the first cage check, many breeding facilities are likely to be unaware of their real rates of mouse pup mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Brajon
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, and i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.B.); (G.M.M.); (S.C.-P.)
- Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK;
| | - Gabriela Munhoz Morello
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, and i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.B.); (G.M.M.); (S.C.-P.)
| | - Sara Capas-Peneda
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, and i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.B.); (G.M.M.); (S.C.-P.)
- ICBAS School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jan Hultgren
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 53223 Skara, Sweden;
| | - Colin Gilbert
- Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK;
| | - Anna Olsson
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, and i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (S.B.); (G.M.M.); (S.C.-P.)
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2
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Freeman AR. Female-female reproductive suppression: impacts on signals and behavior. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1827-1840. [PMID: 33871603 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Female-female reproductive suppression is evident in an array of mammals, including rodents, primates, and carnivores. By suppressing others, breeding females can benefit by reducing competition from other females and their offspring. There are neuroendocrinological changes during suppression which result in altered behavior, reproductive cycling, and communication. This review, which focuses on species in Rodentia, explores the current theoretical frameworks of female-female reproductive suppression, how female presence and rank impacts reproductive suppression, and some of the proposed mechanisms of suppression. Finally, the understudied role of olfactory communication in female-female reproductive suppression is discussed to identify current gaps in our understanding of this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Freeman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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3
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Morello GM, Hultgren J, Capas-Peneda S, Wiltshire M, Thomas A, Wardle-Jones H, Brajon S, Gilbert C, Olsson IAS. High laboratory mouse pre-weaning mortality associated with litter overlap, advanced dam age, small and large litters. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236290. [PMID: 32785214 PMCID: PMC7423063 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High and variable pre-weaning mortality is a persistent problem in laboratory mouse breeding. Assuming a modest 15% mortality rate across mouse strains, means that approximately 1 million more pups are produced yearly in the EU to compensate for those which die. This paper presents the first large study under practical husbandry conditions to determine the risk factors associated with mouse pre-weaning mortality. We analysed historical records from 219,975 pups from two breeding facilities, collected as part of their management routine and including information on number of pups born and weaned per litter, parents’ age and identification, and dates of birth and death of all animals. Pups were counted once in their first week of life and at weaning, and once every one or two weeks, depending on the need for cage cleaning. Dead pups were recorded as soon as these were found during the daily cage screening (without opening the cage). It was hypothesized that litter overlap (i.e. the presence of older siblings in the cage when new pups are born), a recurrent social configuration in trio-housed mice, is associated with increased newborn mortality, along with advanced dam age, large litter size, and a high number and age of older siblings in the cage. The estimated probability of pup death was two to seven percentage points higher in cages with litter overlap compared to those without. Litter overlap was associated with an increase in death of the entire litter of five and six percentage points, which represent an increase of 19% and 103% compared to non-overlapped litters in the two breeding facilities, respectively. Increased number and age of older siblings, advanced dam age, small litter size (less than four pups born) and large litter size (over 11 pups born) were associated with increased probability of pup death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M. Morello
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S –Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - Jan Hultgren
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden
| | - Sara Capas-Peneda
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S –Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Aurelie Thomas
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sophie Brajon
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S –Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Colin Gilbert
- Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - I. Anna S. Olsson
- Laboratory Animal Science, IBMC-Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S –Institute for Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Carpenter KC, Thurston SE, Hoenerhoff MJ, Lofgren JL. Effects of Trio and Pair Breeding of Mice on Environmental Parameters and Nasal Pathology and Their Implications for Cage Change Frequency. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2020; 59:288-297. [PMID: 32111266 PMCID: PMC7210739 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
According to the Guide, cage change frequencies must be considered when cage density requirements are exceeded. We monitored ammonia, carbon dioxide, cage wetness, health status, and breeding parameters of trio and pair breeding cages containing CD1 mice in ventilated and static microisolation caging (4 cages per condition) daily for approximately 6 wk. Minimum cage change frequencies for each condition were determined on the basis of performance data. At 3 d after cage change, static trio and pair cages had average ammonia levels of 74 and 38 ppm. Ventilated cages remained below the 25ppm threshold reported to be potentially deleterious for mice until at least day 7 after cage change. By 7 d after cage change, ammonia levels had risen to an average of 100 ppm and 64 ppm in static trio and pair cages and to 34 ppm and 20 ppm in ventilated trio and pair cages, respectively. Ammonia levels in ventilated cages continued to rise slowly through day 14 after cage change. CO₂ levels exceeded 5000 ppm in all groups at 2 d after cage change. Pair breeders in ventilated cages took the longest-10 to 14 d-to reach cage wetness threshold scores. On day 7, pups in trio static cages were noted to have decreased and squinted eyes, whereas in ventilated cages containing trios and pairs, these clinical signs were rare to absent. Histologically, there was an increasing incidence and severity of nasal lesions in weanlings with increasing housing density and decreasing ventilation, consistent with nasal epithelial toxicity. Given these parameters, we concluded that under the current husbandry conditions, it may be necessary to change breeders in static cages more frequently than every 7 d. Additional studies are necessary to evaluate the effects of more frequent cage changes on reproductive parameters, given that cage changing is stressful for mice and affects breeding results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey C Carpenter
- Refinement and Enrichment Advancements Laboratory (REAL), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Sarah E Thurston
- Refinement and Enrichment Advancements Laboratory (REAL), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Mark J Hoenerhoff
- In Vivo Animal Core, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jennifer L Lofgren
- Refinement and Enrichment Advancements Laboratory (REAL), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan;,
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Smiley KO, Ladyman SR, Gustafson P, Grattan DR, Brown RSE. Neuroendocrinology and Adaptive Physiology of Maternal Care. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 43:161-210. [PMID: 31808002 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2019_122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. In mammals, parental care is primarily provided through maternal care, due to obligate pregnancy and lactation constraints, although some species also show paternal and alloparental care. These behaviors are driven by specialized neural circuits that receive sensory, cortical, and hormonal input to generate a coordinated and timely change in behavior, and sustain that behavior through activation of reward pathways. Importantly, the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and lactation also act to coordinate a broad range of physiological changes to support the mother and enable her to adapt to the demands of these states. This chapter will review the neural pathways that regulate maternal behavior, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation, and how these two facets merge together to promote both young-directed maternal responses (including nursing and grooming) and young-related responses (including maternal aggression and other physiological adaptions to support the development of and caring for young). We conclude by examining how experimental animal work has translated into knowledge of human parenting, particularly in regards to maternal mental health issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Papillon Gustafson
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rosemary S E Brown
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Chatkupt TT, Libal NL, Mader SL, Murphy SJ, Saunders KE. Effect of Continuous Trio Breeding Compared with Continuous Pair Breeding in 'Shoebox' Caging on Measures of Reproductive Performance in Estrogen Receptor Knockout Mice. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2018; 57:328-334. [PMID: 30049297 PMCID: PMC6059215 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-17-000125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Some performance standards for continuous trio breeding in 'shoebox' cages for inbred stocks and outbred strains of mice challenge the minimum floor space recommendations in the 8th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. In our study, we evaluated whether continuous trio breeding could be successfully applied to a breeding colony of genetically engineered mice housed in shoebox cages with a floor area of 67.6 in2. Mice heterozygous for genetically engineered mutations to estrogen receptors and their wildtype counterparts were continuously bred as trios or pairs. Confounding environmental factors were controlled through standardized husbandry practices and husbandry, and all mice were bred simultaneously to control for temporal factors. Several measures of reproductive performance-including number of litters per female, production index, interlitter interval, litter size at birth, litter size at weaning, weaning rate, and body weight of pups at weaning- were evaluated over approximately 6 mo. Regardless of genotype, interlitter interval, litter size at birth, and litter size at weaning were significantly lower for trio-bred mice than for pair-bred mice. In addition, significant interactions emerged between genotype and breeding strategy for these reproductive measures. Furthermore, significant differences between genotypes occurred for interlitter interval and weaning rate, regardless of breeding strategy. Underlying mechanisms to account for effects of genotype on interlitter interval and the interaction of genotype with breeding strategy were unclear but may reflect effects of overcrowding and reproductive suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom T Chatkupt
- Departments of Comparative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon;,
| | - Nicole L Libal
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Sarah L Mader
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Stephanie J Murphy
- Departments of Comparative Medicine, Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, Division of Comparative Medicine; Office of Research Infrastructure Programs; Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiative; Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kim E Saunders
- Departments of Comparative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
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Male and Female Mice Lacking Neuroligin-3 Modify the Behavior of Their Wild-Type Littermates. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0145-17. [PMID: 28795135 PMCID: PMC5548363 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0145-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In most mammals, including humans, the postnatal acquisition of normal social and nonsocial behavior critically depends on interactions with peers. Here we explore the possibility that mixed-group housing of mice carrying a deletion of Nlgn3, a gene associated with autism spectrum disorders, and their wild-type littermates induces changes in each other’s behavior. We have found that, when raised together, male Nlgn3 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates displayed deficits in sociability. Moreover, social submission in adult male Nlgn3 knockout mice correlated with an increase in their anxiety. Re-expression of Nlgn3 in parvalbumin-expressing cells in transgenic animals rescued their social behavior and alleviated the phenotype of their wild-type littermates, further indicating that the social behavior of Nlgn3 knockout mice has a direct and measurable impact on wild-type animals’ behavior. Finally, we showed that, unlike male mice, female mice lacking Nlgn3 were insensitive to their peers’ behavior but modified the social behavior of their littermates. Altogether, our findings show that the environment is a critical factor in the development of behavioral phenotypes in transgenic and wild-type mice. In addition, these results reveal that the social environment has a sexually dimorphic effect on the behavior of mice lacking Nlgn3, being more influential in males than females.
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8
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Wasson K. Retrospective Analysis of Reproductive Performance of Pair-bred Compared with Trio-bred Mice. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2017; 56:190-193. [PMID: 28315650 PMCID: PMC5361046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Federal guidelines provide recommendations regarding the minimum of floor space that should be allotted for breeding laboratory rodents. Mouse mating systems used by a variety of institutions frequently deviate from these recommendations. Regulatory agencies suggest that deviations from established guidelines should be assessed on an institutional basis and recommend periodic review by the local IACUC. Mouse breeding data, collected in a laboratory animal management software program at a single institution, were retrospectively analyzed to determine the effects of 2 breeding schemes on reproductive performance. Data were analyzed over a 20-mo period from all inbred strains of mice breeding in the vivarium. Variables included total number of pups per litter, pups per female, and litters per female. Data indicated that the numbers of pups and litters per dam do not differ between trio-bred (one male, 2 female) and pair-bred (one male, one female) mice. However, more pups were weaned per litter in trio-bred (mean, 5.8 pups) when-compared with pair-bred (mean, 4.7 pups) mice. These results suggest that allocating less than the recommended amount of floor space is not detrimental to the overall breeding success of the strains of mice examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wasson
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of California-Merced, Merced, California;,
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