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Harmon ME, Fiamingo M, Toler S, Lee K, Kim Y, Martin B, Gilmour I, Farraj AK, Hazari MS. The effect of enriched versus depleted housing on eucalyptus smoke-induced cardiovascular dysfunction in mice. Inhal Toxicol 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38776456 DOI: 10.1080/08958378.2024.2352748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Objectives: Living conditions play a major role in health and well-being, particularly for the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Depleted housing contributes to impairment and development of disease, but how it impacts body resiliency during exposure to environmental stressors is unknown. This study examined the effect of depleted (DH) versus enriched housing (EH) on cardiopulmonary function and subsequent responses to wildfire smoke. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of healthy female mice, one of them surgically implanted with radiotelemeters for the measurement of electrocardiogram, body temperature (Tco) and activity, were housed in either DH or EH for 7 weeks. Telemetered mice were exposed for 1 h to filtered air (FA) and then flaming eucalyptus wildfire smoke (WS) while untelemetered mice, which were used for ventilatory assessment and tissue collection, were exposed to either FA or WS. Animals were continuously monitored for 5-7 days after exposure. Results: EH prevented a decrease in Tco after radiotelemetry surgery. EH mice also had significantly higher activity levels and lower heart rate during and after FA and WS. Moreover, EH caused a decreased number of cardiac arrhythmias during WS. WS caused ventilatory depression in DH mice but not EH mice. Housing enrichment also upregulated the expression of cardioprotective genes in the heart. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that housing conditions impact overall health and cardiopulmonary function. More importantly, depleted housing appears to worsen the response to air pollution. Thus, non-chemical factors should be considered when assessing the susceptibility of populations, especially when it comes to extreme environmental events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Harmon
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of NC - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michelle Fiamingo
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of NC - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sydnie Toler
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kaleb Lee
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Yongho Kim
- Public Health Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States Environmental Protection Agency, NC, USA
| | - Brandi Martin
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Ian Gilmour
- Public Health Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States Environmental Protection Agency, NC, USA
| | - Aimen K Farraj
- Public Health Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States Environmental Protection Agency, NC, USA
| | - Mehdi S Hazari
- Public Health Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States Environmental Protection Agency, NC, USA
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2
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van Ingelgom T, Didone V, Godefroid L, Quertemont É. Effects of social housing conditions on ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in Swiss mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:987-1000. [PMID: 38206359 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06527-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE In previous animal model studies, it was shown that drug sensitization is dependent upon physical environmental conditions. However, the effects of social housing conditions on drug sensitization is much less known. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of social conditions, through the size of housing groups, on ethanol stimulant effects and ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male and female Swiss mice were housed in groups of different sizes (isolated mice, two mice per cage, four mice per cage and eight mice per cage) during a six-week period. A standard paradigm of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization was then started with one daily injection of 2.5 g/kg ethanol for 8 consecutive days. RESULTS The results show that social housing conditions affect the acute stimulant effects of ethanol. The highest stimulant effects were observed in socially isolated mice and then gradually decreased as the size of the group increased. Although the rate of ethanol sensitization did not differ between groups, the ultimate sensitized levels of ethanol-induced stimulant effects were significantly reduced in mice housed in groups of eight. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the idea that higher levels of acute and sensitized ethanol stimulant effects are observed in mice housed in stressful housing conditions, such as social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo van Ingelgom
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Vincent Didone
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Leeloo Godefroid
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Étienne Quertemont
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium.
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3
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Douglas JM, Paul-Murphy J, Stelow E, Sanchez-Migallon Guzman D, Udaltsova I. Personality Characteristics Predictive of Social Pairing Outcome in Orange-Winged Amazon Parrots ( Amazona amazonica). J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024; 27:386-407. [PMID: 37830222 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2023.2268522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Most wild parrot species live in flocks, enriched by the environment and conspecific interactions. Captive parrots often live individually and are prone to behavioral maladaptation. If captive parrots and their behavior become intolerable, they are commonly relinquished to rescue organizations. This study aims to create parrot personality assessments for use by rescuers adding newly acquired parrots to shared environments. The study involved 20 orange-winged Amazon parrots (10 M, 10 F). Observers familiar with each bird scored its personality and analyses determined three sets of personalities: Social, Guarded, and Nervous Each parrot was paired with its 10 heterosexual counterparts and its interactions monitored remotely and captured on video. Pairing trials occurred over 72 hours in a specially designed pairing structure. Parrot personality could predict pairing success. Social-Guarded and Social-Nervous were more successfully paired, with individuals maintaining a close distance to one another and displaying increased rest-stretch behavior. Time of day influenced success with Social-Nervous pairs successful at all times of day, Social-Social pairs in the AM, and Guarded-Guarded pairs in the PM period. The study results suggest that rescues can use personality assessment and specific behaviors during cohabitation to predict OWA novel pairing outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie M Douglas
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Stelow
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Irina Udaltsova
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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4
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Liu X, Gutierrez AG, Vega A, Willms JO, Driskill J, Panthagani P, Sanchez J, Aguilera M, Backus B, Bailoo JD, Bergeson SE. The horizontal ladder test (HLT) protocol: a novel, optimized, and reliable means of assessing motor coordination in Sus scrofa domesticus. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1357363. [PMID: 38510830 PMCID: PMC10951394 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1357363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Pigs can be an important model for preclinical biological research, including neurological diseases such as Alcohol Use Disorder. Such research often involves longitudinal assessment of changes in motor coordination as the disease or disorder progresses. Current motor coordination tests in pigs are derived from behavioral assessments in rodents and lack critical aspects of face and construct validity. While such tests may permit for the comparison of experimental results to rodents, a lack of validation studies of such tests in the pig itself may preclude the drawing of meaningful conclusions. To address this knowledge gap, an apparatus modeled after a horizontally placed ladder and where the height of the rungs could be adjusted was developed. The protocol that was employed within the apparatus mimicked the walk and turn test of the human standardized field sobriety test. Here, five Sinclair miniature pigs were trained to cross the horizontally placed ladder, starting at a rung height of six inches and decreasing to three inches in one-inch increments. It was demonstrated that pigs can reliably learn to cross the ladder, with few errors, under baseline/unimpaired conditions. These animals were then involved in a voluntary consumption of ethanol study where animals were longitudinally evaluated for motor coordination changes at baseline, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% ethanol concentrations subsequently to consuming ethanol. Consistent with our predictions, relative to baseline performance, motor incoordination increased as voluntary consumption of escalating concentrations of ethanol increased. Together these data highlight that the horizontal ladder test (HLT) test protocol is a novel, optimized and reliable test for evaluating motor coordination as well as changes in motor coordination in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Ana G. Gutierrez
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Arlette Vega
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Joshua O. Willms
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Jackson Driskill
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Praneetha Panthagani
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Jordan Sanchez
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Monica Aguilera
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Brittany Backus
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Jeremy D. Bailoo
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Susan E. Bergeson
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
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5
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Vogt CC, Zipple MN, Sprockett DD, Miller CH, Hardy SX, Arthur MK, Greenstein AM, Colvin MS, Michel LM, Moeller AH, Sheehan MJ. Female behavior drives the formation of distinct social structures in C57BL/6J versus wild-derived outbred mice in field enclosures. BMC Biol 2024; 22:35. [PMID: 38355587 PMCID: PMC10865716 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01809-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social behavior and social organization have major influences on individual health and fitness. Yet, biomedical research focuses on studying a few genotypes under impoverished social conditions. Understanding how lab conditions have modified social organizations of model organisms, such as lab mice, relative to natural populations is a missing link between socioecology and biomedical science. RESULTS Using a common garden design, we describe the formation of social structure in the well-studied laboratory mouse strain, C57BL/6J, in replicated mixed-sex populations over 10-day trials compared to control trials with wild-derived outbred house mice in outdoor field enclosures. We focus on three key features of mouse social systems: (i) territory establishment in males, (ii) female social relationships, and (iii) the social networks formed by the populations. Male territorial behaviors were similar but muted in C57 compared to wild-derived mice. Female C57 sharply differed from wild-derived females, showing little social bias toward cage mates and exploring substantially more of the enclosures compared to all other groups. Female behavior consistently generated denser social networks in C57 than in wild-derived mice. CONCLUSIONS C57 and wild-derived mice individually vary in their social and spatial behaviors which scale to shape overall social organization. The repeatable societies formed under field conditions highlights opportunities to experimentally study the interplay between society and individual biology using model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb C Vogt
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Matthew N Zipple
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Daniel D Sprockett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Caitlin H Miller
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Summer X Hardy
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Matthew K Arthur
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Adam M Greenstein
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Melanie S Colvin
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Lucie M Michel
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Andrew H Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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6
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Lee JM, Lee GH, Kim K. Attending veterinarians improve the research capability and psychological well-being of researchers in animal research institutes. Front Vet Sci 2024; 10:1340225. [PMID: 38249556 PMCID: PMC10797093 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1340225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of laboratory animals in biomedical research has significantly advanced scientific understanding, yet it raises ethical concerns about animal welfare and the mental health of researchers Recent research has highlighted the potential for stress and compassion fatigue among researchers working with distressed animals. Attending veterinarians (AVs) are crucial in mitigating the pain and stress experienced by animals and, by extension, researchers. However, the impact of AVs on researchers' psychological well-being remains understudied. This study explores how AVs contribute to researchers' research capability and psychological well-being in animal research institutions. AVs oversee animal housing, health, and welfare; their involvement is mandated or strongly recommended in developed countries. AVs enhance animal welfare by ensuring proper housing, nutrition, and social interaction. They monitor animal health, educate researchers on pain assessment, and promote compliance with post-surgical care. AVs also contribute to researchers' well-being by addressing euthanasia procedures, which can be emotionally challenging. Programs for rehoming animals after experiments offer an alternative to euthanasia and positively impact researchers' psychological well-being. Moreover, AVs promote workplace well-being by fostering positive workplace cultures, offering peer counseling, and providing social support. Programs considering animal welfare and researchers' emotions are crucial for a healthy research environment. In conclusion, AVs are essential in balancing scientific progress with animal welfare and researchers' psychological well-being. Therefore, their role should be recognized as vital in achieving social equity that considers the welfare of humans and laboratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Min Lee
- Research Ethics Team, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang-Hoon Lee
- Preclinical Research Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - KilSoo Kim
- Preclinical Research Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Veterinary Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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7
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Carrilho M, Monarca RI, Aparício G, Mathias MDL, Tapisso JT, von Merten S. Physiological and behavioural adjustment of a wild rodent to laboratory conditions. Physiol Behav 2024; 273:114385. [PMID: 37866641 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals are brought to captivity for different reasons, for example to be kept in zoos and rehabilitation centres, but also for basic research. Such animals usually undergo a process of adjustment to captive conditions. While this adjustment occurs on the behavioural and the physiological level, those are usually studied separately. The aim of this study was to assess both the physiological and behavioural responses of wild wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus, while adjusting to laboratory conditions. Over the course of four weeks, we measured in wild-caught mice brought to the laboratory faecal corticosterone metabolites and body mass as physiological parameters, stereotypic behaviour and nest-quality, as welfare-linked behavioural parameters, and four personality measures as additional behavioural parameters. The results of our study indicate that mice exhibited an adjustment in both behaviour and physiology over time in the laboratory. While the hormonal stress response decreased significantly, body mass and the proportion of stereotypic behaviours showed a tendency to increase over time. The slight increase of stereotypic behaviours, although not statistically significant, suggests the development of repetitive and non-functional behaviours as a response to laboratory conditions. However, we suggest that those behaviours might have been used by animals as a coping strategy to decrease the physiological stress response. Other behavioural parameters measured, such as boldness and nestbuilding behaviour were stable over time. The information obtained in the present study hints at a complex interplay between behavioural and physiological adjustments of wild animals to laboratory conditions, which should be considered when intending to use wild animals in experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maílis Carrilho
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal.
| | - Rita I Monarca
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Guilherme Aparício
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Maria da Luz Mathias
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Joaquim T Tapisso
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Sophie von Merten
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal; Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
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8
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Spontarelli K, Young VC, Sweazey R, Padro A, Lee J, Bueso T, Hernandez RM, Kim J, Katz A, Rossignol F, Turner C, Wilczewski CM, Maxwell GL, Holmgren M, Bailoo JD, Yano ST, Artigas P. ATP1A1-linked diseases require a malfunctioning protein product from one allele. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119572. [PMID: 37659504 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Heterozygous germline variants in ATP1A1, the gene encoding the α1 subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), have been linked to diseases including primary hyperaldosteronism and the peripheral neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). ATP1A1 variants that cause CMT induce loss-of-function of NKA. This heterodimeric (αβ) enzyme hydrolyzes ATP to establish transmembrane electrochemical gradients of Na+ and K+ that are essential for electrical signaling and cell survival. Of the 4 catalytic subunit isoforms, α1 is ubiquitously expressed and is the predominant paralog in peripheral axons. Human population sequencing datasets indicate strong negative selection against both missense and protein-null ATP1A1 variants. To test whether haploinsufficiency generated by heterozygous protein-null alleles are sufficient to cause disease, we tested the neuromuscular characteristics of heterozygous Atp1a1+/- knockout mice and their wildtype littermates, while also evaluating if exercise increased CMT penetrance. We found that Atp1a1+/- mice were phenotypically normal up to 18 months of age. Consistent with the observations in mice, we report clinical phenotyping of a healthy adult human who lacks any clinical features of known ATP1A1-related diseases despite carrying a plasma-membrane protein-null early truncation variant, p.Y148*. Taken together, these results suggest that a malfunctioning gene product is required for disease induction by ATP1A1 variants and that if any pathology is associated with protein-null variants, they may display low penetrance or high age of onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerri Spontarelli
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Victoria C Young
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Ryan Sweazey
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Alexandria Padro
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Jeannie Lee
- Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Tulio Bueso
- Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Roberto M Hernandez
- Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Jongyeol Kim
- Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Alexander Katz
- NIH Reverse Phenotyping Core, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Francis Rossignol
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Clesson Turner
- NIH Reverse Phenotyping Core, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Caralynn M Wilczewski
- NIH Reverse Phenotyping Core, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - George L Maxwell
- Women's Health Integrated Research Center, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA, USA
| | - Miguel Holmgren
- Molecular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeremy D Bailoo
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Sho T Yano
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Molecular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Current address: Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Pablo Artigas
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
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9
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Liu X, Gutierrez AG, Vega A, Willms JO, Driskill J, Panthagani P, Sanchez J, Aguilera M, Backus B, Bailoo JD, Bergeson SE. The Horizontal Ladder Test (HLT) protocol: A novel, optimized, and reliable means of assessing motor coordination in Sus scrofa domesticus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571517. [PMID: 38168162 PMCID: PMC10760169 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Pigs can be an important model for preclinical biological research, including neurological diseases such as Alcohol Use Disorder. Such research often involves longitudinal assessment of changes in motor coordination as the disease or disorder progresses. Current motor coordination tests in pigs are derived from behavioral assessments in rodents and lack critical aspects of face and construct validity. While such tests may permit for the comparison of experimental results to rodents, a lack of validation studies of such tests in the pig itself may preclude the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Here, we present a novel, optimized, and reliable horizontal ladder test (HLT) test protocol for evaluating motor coordination in pigs and an initial validation of its construct validity using voluntary alcohol consumption as an experimental manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Ana G Gutierrez
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Arlette Vega
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Joshua O Willms
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Jackson Driskill
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Praneetha Panthagani
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Jordan Sanchez
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Monica Aguilera
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Brittany Backus
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Jeremy D Bailoo
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Susan E Bergeson
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
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10
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Loss CM, Domingues K, Sousa N, Viola GG. Editorial: Improving reproducibility in behavioral neuroscience. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1328525. [PMID: 38033478 PMCID: PMC10684940 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1328525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cássio Morais Loss
- Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter FL, United States
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karolina Domingues
- Departmento de Anatomia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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11
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Bohn L, Bierbaum L, Kästner N, von Kortzfleisch VT, Kaiser S, Sachser N, Richter SH. Structural enrichment for laboratory mice: exploring the effects of novelty and complexity. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1207332. [PMID: 37841462 PMCID: PMC10570735 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1207332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Providing structural enrichment is a widespread refinement method for laboratory rodents and other animals in captivity. So far, animal welfare research has mostly focused on the effect of increased complexity either by accumulating or combining different enrichment items. However, increasing complexity is not the only possibility to refine housing conditions. Another refinement option is to increase novelty by regularly exchanging known enrichment items with new ones. In the present study, we used pair-housed non-breeding female C57BL/6J and DBA/2N mice to investigate the effect of novelty when applying structural enrichment. We used a double cage system, in which one cage served as home cage and the other as extra cage. While the home cage was furnished in the same way for all mice, in the extra cage we either provided only space with no additional enrichment items (space), a fixed set of enrichment items (complexity), or a changing set of enrichment items (novelty). Over 5 weeks, we assessed spontaneous behaviors, body weight, and extra cage usage as indicators of welfare and preference. Our main results showed that mice with access to structurally enriched extra cages (complexity and novelty) spent more time in their extra cages and complexity mice had lower latencies to enter their extra cages than mice with access to the extra cages without any structural enrichment (space). This indicates that the mice preferred the structurally enriched extra cages over the structurally non-enriched space cages. We found only one statistically significant difference between the novelty and complexity condition: during week 3, novelty mice spent more time in their extra cages than complexity mice. Although we did not detect any other significant differences between the novelty and complexity condition in the present study, more research is required to further explore the potential benefits of novelty beyond complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Bohn
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Louisa Bierbaum
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Niklas Kästner
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - S. Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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12
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Farmer AL, Lewis MH. Reduction of restricted repetitive behavior by environmental enrichment: Potential neurobiological mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105291. [PMID: 37353046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are one of two diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder and common in other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The term restricted repetitive behavior refers to a wide variety of inflexible patterns of behavior including stereotypy, self-injury, restricted interests, insistence on sameness, and ritualistic and compulsive behavior. However, despite their prevalence in clinical populations, their underlying causes remain poorly understood hampering the development of effective treatments. Intriguingly, numerous animal studies have demonstrated that these behaviors are reduced by rearing in enriched environments (EE). Understanding the processes responsible for the attenuation of repetitive behaviors by EE should offer insights into potential therapeutic approaches, as well as shed light on the underlying neurobiology of repetitive behaviors. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the relationship between EE and RRB and discusses potential mechanisms for EE's attenuation of RRB based on the broader EE literature. Existing gaps in the literature and future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Farmer
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Mark H Lewis
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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13
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Kahnau P, Jaap A, Urmersbach B, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Development of an IntelliCage-based cognitive bias test for mice. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2023; 2:128. [PMID: 37799631 PMCID: PMC10548109 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.15294.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The cognitive bias test is used to measure the emotional state of animals with regard to future expectations. Thus, the test offers a unique possibility to assess animal welfare with regard to housing and testing conditions of laboratory animals. So far, however, performing such a test is time-consuming and requires the presence of an experimenter. Therefore, we developed an automated and home-cage based cognitive bias test based on the IntelliCage system. We present several developmental steps to improve the experimental design leading to a successful measurement of cognitive bias in group-housed female C57BL/6J mice. The automated and home-cage based test design allows to obtain individual data from group-housed mice, to test the mice in their familiar environment, and during their active phase. By connecting the test-cage to the home-cage via a gating system, the mice participated in the test on a self-chosen schedule, indicating high motivation to actively participate in the experiment. We propose that this should have a positive effect on the animals themselves as well as on the data. Unexpectedly, the mice showed an optimistic cognitive bias after enrichment was removed and additional restraining. An optimistic expectation of the future as a consequence of worsening environmental conditions, however, can also be interpreted as an active coping strategy in which a potential profit is sought to be maximized through a higher willingness to take risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Anne Jaap
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Birk Urmersbach
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
- Insitute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, 14163, Germany
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14
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Kahnau P, Jaap A, Urmersbach B, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Development of an IntelliCage-based cognitive bias test for mice. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2023; 2:128. [PMID: 37799631 PMCID: PMC10548109 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.15294.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive bias test is used to measure the emotional state of animals with regard to future expectations. Thus, the test offers a unique possibility to assess animal welfare with regard to housing and testing conditions of laboratory animals. So far, however, performing such a test is time-consuming and requires the presence of an experimenter. Therefore, we developed an automated and home-cage based cognitive bias test based on the IntelliCage system. We present several developmental steps to improve the experimental design leading to a successful measurement of cognitive bias in group-housed female C57BL/6J mice. The automated and home-cage based test design allows to obtain individual data from group-housed mice, to test the mice in their familiar environment, and during their active phase. By connecting the test-cage to the home-cage via a gating system, the mice participated in the test on a self-chosen schedule, indicating high motivation to actively participate in the experiment. We propose that this should have a positive effect on the animals themselves as well as on the data. Unexpectedly, the mice showed an optimistic cognitive bias after enrichment was removed and additional restraining. An optimistic expectation of the future as a consequence of worsening environmental conditions, however, can also be interpreted as an active coping strategy in which a potential profit is sought to be maximized through a higher willingness to take risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Anne Jaap
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Birk Urmersbach
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
- Insitute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, 14163, Germany
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15
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Grimm H, Biller-Andorno N, Buch T, Dahlhoff M, Davies G, Cederroth CR, Maissen O, Lukas W, Passini E, Törnqvist E, Olsson IAS, Sandström J. Advancing the 3Rs: innovation, implementation, ethics and society. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1185706. [PMID: 37396988 PMCID: PMC10310538 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1185706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The 3Rs principle of replacing, reducing and refining the use of animals in science has been gaining widespread support in the international research community and appears in transnational legislation such as the European Directive 2010/63/EU, a number of national legislative frameworks like in Switzerland and the UK, and other rules and guidance in place in countries around the world. At the same time, progress in technical and biomedical research, along with the changing status of animals in many societies, challenges the view of the 3Rs principle as a sufficient and effective approach to the moral challenges set by animal use in research. Given this growing awareness of our moral responsibilities to animals, the aim of this paper is to address the question: Can the 3Rs, as a policy instrument for science and research, still guide the morally acceptable use of animals for scientific purposes, and if so, how? The fact that the increased availability of alternatives to animal models has not correlated inversely with a decrease in the number of animals used in research has led to public and political calls for more radical action. However, a focus on the simple measure of total animal numbers distracts from the need for a more nuanced understanding of how the 3Rs principle can have a genuine influence as a guiding instrument in research and testing. Hence, we focus on three core dimensions of the 3Rs in contemporary research: (1) What scientific innovations are needed to advance the goals of the 3Rs? (2) What can be done to facilitate the implementation of existing and new 3R methods? (3) Do the 3Rs still offer an adequate ethical framework given the increasing social awareness of animal needs and human moral responsibilities? By answering these questions, we will identify core perspectives in the debate over the advancement of the 3Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herwig Grimm
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikola Biller-Andorno
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thorsten Buch
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maik Dahlhoff
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gail Davies
- Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Otto Maissen
- Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Animal Welfare Division, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wilma Lukas
- Innosuisse - Swiss Innovation Agency, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Elisa Passini
- National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, United Kingdom
| | - Elin Törnqvist
- Department of Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies, Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - I. Anna S. Olsson
- Laboratory Animal Science, i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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16
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Turner PV, Bayne K. Research Animal Behavioral Management Programs for the 21st Century. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1919. [PMID: 37370429 DOI: 10.3390/ani13121919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral management programs have been developed commonly for research dogs and primates but rarely has program consideration been expanded to include all research species worked with. This is necessary to reduce animal stress and promote natural behaviors, which can promote good animal welfare and result in more robust and reproducible scientific data. We describe the evolution of consideration for research animal needs and define an umbrella-based model of research animal behavioral management programs, which may be used for all research species. In addition to developing a more comprehensive program, we emphasize the need for regular welfare assessments to determine whether the program is working cohesively and whether any aspects require modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia V Turner
- Global Animal Welfare & Training, Charles River, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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17
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Palumbo G, Kunze LH, Oos R, Wind-Mark K, Lindner S, von Ungern-Sternberg B, Bartenstein P, Ziegler S, Brendel M. Longitudinal Studies on Alzheimer Disease Mouse Models with Multiple Tracer PET/CT: Application of Reduction and Refinement Principles in Daily Practice to Safeguard Animal Welfare during Progressive Aging. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1812. [PMID: 37531139 PMCID: PMC10251952 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal studies on mouse models related to Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology play an important role in the investigation of therapeutic targets to help pharmaceutical research in the development of new drugs and in the attempt of an early diagnosis that can contribute to improving people's quality of life. There are several advantages to enriching longitudinal studies in AD models with Positron Emission Tomography (PET); among these advantages, the possibility of following the principle of the 3Rs of animal welfare is fundamental. In this manuscript, good daily experimental practice focusing on animal welfare is described and commented upon, based on the experience attained from studies conducted in our Nuclear Medicine department.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Palumbo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lea Helena Kunze
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Rosel Oos
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wind-Mark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Peter Bartenstein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sibylle Ziegler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Marchionini Strasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
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18
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Mieske P, Scheinpflug J, Yorgan TA, Brylka L, Palme R, Hobbiesiefken U, Preikschat J, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Effects of more natural housing conditions on the muscular and skeletal characteristics of female C57BL/6J mice. Lab Anim Res 2023; 39:9. [PMID: 37189184 DOI: 10.1186/s42826-023-00160-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enrichment of home cages in laboratory experiments offers clear advantages, but has been criticized in some respects. First, there is a lack of definition, which makes methodological uniformity difficult. Second, there is concern that the enrichment of home cages may increase the variance of results in experiments. Here, the influence of more natural housing conditions on physiological parameters of female C57BL/6J mice was investigated from an animal welfare point of view. For this purpose, the animals were kept in three different housing conditions: conventional cage housing, enriched housing and the semi naturalistic environment. The focus was on musculoskeletal changes after long-term environmental enrichment. RESULTS The housing conditions had a long-term effect on the body weight of the test animals. The more complex and natural the home cage, the heavier the animals. This was associated with increased adipose deposits in the animals. There were no significant changes in muscle and bone characteristics except for single clues (femur diameter, bone resorption marker CTX-1). Additionally, the animals in the semi naturalistic environment (SNE) were found to have the fewest bone anomalies. Housing in the SNE appears to have the least effect on stress hormone concentrations. The lowest oxygen uptake was observed in enriched cage housing. CONCLUSIONS Despite increasing values, observed body weights were in the normal and strain-typical range. Overall, musculoskeletal parameters were slightly improved and age-related effects appear to have been attenuated. The variances in the results were not increased by more natural housing. This confirms the suitability of the applied housing conditions to ensure and increase animal welfare in laboratory experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Federal German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Julia Scheinpflug
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Federal German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timur Alexander Yorgan
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laura Brylka
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Federal German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Preikschat
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Federal German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Federal German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 67, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Federal German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
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Spontarelli K, Young VC, Sweazey R, Padro A, Lee J, Bueso T, Hernandez RM, Kim J, Katz A, Rossignol F, Turner C, Wilczewski CM, Maxwell GL, Holmgren M, Bailoo JD, Yano ST, Artigas P. ATP1A1 -linked diseases require a malfunctioning protein product from one allele. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.05.531165. [PMID: 37090550 PMCID: PMC10120656 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.05.531165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Heterozygous germline variants in ATP1A1 , the gene encoding the α1 subunit of the Na + /K + -ATPase (NKA), have been linked to diseases including primary hyperaldosteronism and the peripheral neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). ATP1A1 variants that cause CMT induce loss-of-function of NKA. This heterodimeric (αβ) enzyme hydrolyzes ATP to establish transmembrane electrochemical gradients of Na + and K + that are essential for electrical signaling and cell survival. Of the 4 catalytic subunit isoforms, α1 is ubiquitously expressed and is the predominant paralog in peripheral axons. Human population sequencing datasets indicate strong negative selection against both missense and protein-null ATP1A1 variants. To test whether haploinsufficiency generated by heterozygous protein-null alleles are sufficient to cause disease, we tested the neuromuscular characteristics of heterozygous Atp1a1 +/- knockout mice and their wildtype littermates, while also evaluating if exercise increased CMT penetrance. We found that Atp1a1 +/- mice were phenotypically normal up to 18 months of age. Consistent with the observations in mice, we report clinical phenotyping of a healthy adult human who lacks any clinical features of known ATP1A1 -related diseases despite carrying a protein-null early truncation variant, p.Y148*. Taken together, these results suggest that a malfunctioning gene product is required for disease induction by ATP1A1 variants and that if any pathology is associated with protein-null variants, they may display low penetrance or high age of onset.
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20
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Layton R, Layton D, Beggs D, Fisher A, Mansell P, Stanger KJ. The impact of stress and anesthesia on animal models of infectious disease. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1086003. [PMID: 36816193 PMCID: PMC9933909 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1086003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress and general anesthesia have an impact on the functional response of the organism due to the detrimental effects on cardiovascular, immunological, and metabolic function, which could limit the organism's response to an infectious event. Animal studies have formed an essential step in understanding and mitigating infectious diseases, as the complexities of physiology and immunity cannot yet be replicated in vivo. Using animals in research continues to come under increasing societal scrutiny, and it is therefore crucial that the welfare of animals used in disease research is optimized to meet both societal expectations and improve scientific outcomes. Everyday management and procedures in animal studies are known to cause stress, which can not only cause poorer welfare outcomes, but also introduces variables in disease studies. Whilst general anesthesia is necessary at times to reduce stress and enhance animal welfare in disease research, evidence of physiological and immunological disruption caused by general anesthesia is increasing. To better understand and quantify the effects of stress and anesthesia on disease study and welfare outcomes, utilizing the most appropriate animal monitoring strategies is imperative. This article aims to analyze recent scientific evidence about the impact of stress and anesthesia as uncontrolled variables, as well as reviewing monitoring strategies and technologies in animal models during infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Layton
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, CSIRO, Geelong, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Rachel Layton ✉
| | - Daniel Layton
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, CSIRO, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - David Beggs
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Fisher
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Mansell
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kelly J. Stanger
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, CSIRO, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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21
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Hobbiesiefken U, Urmersbach B, Jaap A, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Rating enrichment items by female group-housed laboratory mice in multiple binary choice tests using an RFID-based tracking system. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278709. [PMID: 36656912 PMCID: PMC9851564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory mice spend most of their lives in cages, not experiments, so improving housing conditions is a first-choice approach to improving their welfare. Despite the increasing popularity of enrichment, little is known about the benefits from an animal perspective. For a detailed analysis, we categorized enrichment items according to their prospective use into the categories 'structural', 'housing', and 'foraging'. In homecage-based multiple binary choice tests 12 female C57BL/6J mice chose between enrichment items within the respective categories over a 46-hour period. A new analyzing method combined the binary decisions and ranked the enrichment items within each category by calculating worth values and consensus errors. Although there was no unequivocal ranking that was true in its entire rank order for all individual mice, certain elements (e.g. lattice ball, second plane) were always among the top positions. Overall, a high consensus error in ranking positions reflects strong individual differences in preferences which could not be resolved due to the relatively small sample size. However, individual differences in the preference for enrichment items highlights the importance of a varied enrichment approach, as there does not seem to be one item that satisfies the wants and needs of all individuals to the same degree. An enrichment concept, in which the needs of the animals are central, contributes to a more specific refinement of housing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Birk Urmersbach
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Jaap
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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22
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The Molecular Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:7095-7118. [PMID: 36083518 PMCID: PMC9616781 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03016-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is an environmental paradigm encompassing sensory, cognitive, and physical stimulation at a heightened level. Previous studies have reported the beneficial effects of EE in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus. EE improves cognitive function as well as ameliorates depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, making it a potentially effective neuroprotective strategy against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we summarize the current evidence for EE as a neuroprotective strategy as well as the potential molecular pathways that can explain the effects of EE from a biochemical perspective using animal models. The effectiveness of EE in enhancing brain activity against neurodegeneration is explored with a view to differences present in early and late life EE exposure, with its potential application in human being discussed. We discuss EE as one of the non pharmacological approaches in preventing or delaying the onset of AD for future research.
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Orendain N, Galván A, Smith E, Barnert ES, Chung PJ. Juvenile confinement exacerbates adversity burden: A neurobiological impetus for decarceration. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1004335. [PMID: 36248654 PMCID: PMC9561343 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1004335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Every year, about 700,000 youth arrests occur in the United States, creating significant neurodevelopmental strain; this is especially concerning as most of these youth have early life adversity exposures that may alter brain development. Males, Black, and Latinx youth, and individuals from low socioeconomic status households have disproportionate contact with the juvenile justice system (JJS). Youth confined in the JJS are frequently exposed to threat and abuse, in addition to separation from family and other social supports. Youths’ educational and exploratory behaviors and activities are substantially restricted, and youth are confined to sterile environments that often lack sufficient enrichment resources. In addition to their demonstrated ineffectiveness in preventing future delinquent behaviors, high recidivism rates, and costs, juvenile conditions of confinement likely exacerbate youths’ adversity burden and neurodevelopmentally harm youth during the temporally sensitive window of adolescence. Developmentally appropriate methods that capitalize on adolescents’ unique rehabilitative potential should be instated through interventions that minimize confinement. Such changes would require joint advocacy from the pediatric and behavioral health care communities. “The distinct nature of children, their initial dependent, and developmental state, their unique human potential as well as their vulnerability, all demand the need for more, rather than less, legal and other protection from all forms of violence (United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2007).”
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Orendain
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Natalia Orendain,
| | - Adriana Galván
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Emma Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth S. Barnert
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, CA, United States
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Mieske P, Hobbiesiefken U, Fischer-Tenhagen C, Heinl C, Hohlbaum K, Kahnau P, Meier J, Wilzopolski J, Butzke D, Rudeck J, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Bored at home?—A systematic review on the effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare of laboratory rats and mice. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:899219. [PMID: 36061113 PMCID: PMC9435384 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.899219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Boredom is an emotional state that occurs when an individual has nothing to do, is not interested in the surrounding, and feels dreary and in a monotony. While this condition is usually defined for humans, it may very well describe the lives of many laboratory animals housed in small, barren cages. To make the cages less monotonous, environmental enrichment is often proposed. Although housing in a stimulating environment is still used predominantly as a luxury good and for treatment in preclinical research, enrichment is increasingly recognized to improve animal welfare. To gain insight into how stimulating environments influence the welfare of laboratory rodents, we conducted a systematic review of studies that analyzed the effect of enriched environment on behavioral parameters of animal well–being. Remarkably, a considerable number of these parameters can be associated with symptoms of boredom. Our findings show that a stimulating living environment is essential for the development of natural behavior and animal welfare of laboratory rats and mice alike, regardless of age and sex. Conversely, confinement and under-stimulation has potentially detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of laboratory rodents. We show that boredom in experimental animals is measurable and does not have to be accepted as inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carola Fischer-Tenhagen
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Céline Heinl
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Kahnau
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennifer Meier
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny Wilzopolski
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Butzke
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Rudeck
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kai Diederich
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Améndola L, Weary D, Zobel G. Effects of personality on assessments of anxiety and cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104827. [PMID: 35970418 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Individual variation in responses to commonly used tests of anxiety and spatial memory is often reported. While this variation is frequently considered to be 'noise', evidence suggests that it is, at least partially, related to consistent individual differences in behavioral responses (i.e., personality). The same tests used to assess anxiety are often used to profile personality traits, but personality differences are rarely considered when testing treatment differences in anxiety. Focusing on the rat literature, we describe fundamental principles involved in anxiety and spatial memory tests and we discuss how personality differences and housing conditions can influence behavioral responses in these tests. We propose that an opportunity exists to increase stress resiliency in environmentally sensitive individuals by providing environmental enrichment. We conclude by discussing different approaches to incorporating personality measures into the design and analysis of future studies; given the potential that variation masks research outcomes, we suggest that a strategy which considers the individual and its housing can contribute to improving research reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Améndola
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Daniel Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Gosia Zobel
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Team, AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, 10 Bisley Road, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand.
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Bračić M, Bohn L, Siewert V, von Kortzfleisch VT, Schielzeth H, Kaiser S, Sachser N, Richter SH. Once an optimist, always an optimist? Studying cognitive judgment bias in mice. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:775-788. [PMID: 35812364 PMCID: PMC9262167 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in the way they judge ambiguous information: some individuals interpret ambiguous information in a more optimistic, and others in a more pessimistic way. Over the past two decades, such "optimistic" and "pessimistic" cognitive judgment biases (CJBs) have been utilized in animal welfare science as indicators of animals' emotional states. However, empirical studies on their ecological and evolutionary relevance are still lacking. We, therefore, aimed at transferring the concept of "optimism" and "pessimism" to behavioral ecology and investigated the role of genetic and environmental factors in modulating CJB in mice. In addition, we assessed the temporal stability of individual differences in CJB. We show that the chosen genotypes (C57BL/6J and B6D2F1N) and environments ("scarce" and "complex") did not have a statistically significant influence on the responses in the CJB test. By contrast, they influenced anxiety-like behavior with C57BL/6J mice and mice from the "complex" environment displaying less anxiety-like behavior than B6D2F1N mice and mice from the "scarce" environment. As the selected genotypes and environments did not explain the existing differences in CJB, future studies might investigate the impact of other genotypes and environmental conditions on CJB, and additionally, elucidate the role of other potential causes like endocrine profiles and epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, we show that individual differences in CJB were repeatable over a period of seven weeks, suggesting that CJB represents a temporally stable trait in laboratory mice. Therefore, we encourage the further study of CJB within an animal personality framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Bračić
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lena Bohn
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Viktoria Siewert
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Holger Schielzeth
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Nest Material Preference of Wild Mouse Species in Laboratory Housing. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12115750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Our research examined the nest-building characteristics of two mouse species native to Hungary, the mound-building mouse (Mus spicilegus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus), under laboratory housing conditions. In indoor housing, the nest-building material plays a very important role in the welfare of the animals. The present study examined how wild mouse species choose from natural nest material. In a three-way test, mice were able to choose whether to make their nest from long blades of hay, nonfibrous cotton, or paper strips. In addition, the effect of nest composition on its quality was also investigated. The test was run at the standard laboratory (21 °C) and lower (10 °C) temperatures, assuming that temperature influences the choice. Based on the results of the three-way selection tests, both species of wild mice chose hay nest material in the highest proportion, and it was also found that the increasing the hay proportion coincided with better nest quality. Mice kept in colder places used more hay nest material for their nests and built better quality nests. Our results show that wild mouse species prefer natural nest-building materials that meet their ecological needs even under laboratory conditions, resulting in a good quality nest. This finding is worth considering in designing appropriate enclosures for wild rodent species.
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Housing conditions modify seasonal changes in basal metabolism and body mass of the Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus. J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:513-526. [PMID: 35348882 PMCID: PMC9197917 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01434-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Proper housing conditions are important aspects of animal welfare. Animals housed in enriched environments show less stereotypic behaviours than animals kept in barren cages. However, different types of cage enrichment may affect the results of experimental studies and hinder comparative analyses of animal physiology and behaviour. We investigated whether access to a running wheel, availability of nesting material, and pair housing affect basal metabolic rate (BMR) of Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) under various acclimation conditions. We used 70 adult hamsters (35 males and 35 females) divided into five groups housed under different cage conditions. All individuals experienced the same acclimation procedure: first a winter (L8:D16) then a summer (L16:D8) photoperiod, at air temperatures of first 20 °C then 7 °C under both photoperiods. We found that nesting material and pair housing did not affect hamster BMR, while access to a running wheel increased BMR and body mass regardless of photoperiod and ambient temperature. Thus, we suggest that cage enrichment should be applied with caution, especially in studies on energetics or thermoregulation, particularly in seasonal animals.
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Ratuski AS, Weary DM. Environmental Enrichment for Rats and Mice Housed in Laboratories: A Metareview. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12040414. [PMID: 35203123 PMCID: PMC8868396 DOI: 10.3390/ani12040414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Environmental enrichment has been widely studied with laboratory rodents, but there is no consensus regarding what counts as enrichment or what it should achieve. Inconsistent use of the term “enrichment” creates challenges in drawing conclusions about the quality of an environment. We conducted a metareview to better understand the definitions and goals of enrichment, perceived risks or requirements of enrichment, and what forms of enrichment have previously been endorsed for use with rodents housed in laboratories. This may help researchers and animal care staff to better define their chosen approach and intended outcomes when providing environmental enrichment. Abstract Environmental enrichment has been widely studied in rodents, but there is no consensus on what enrichment should look like or what it should achieve. Inconsistent use of the term “enrichment” creates challenges in drawing conclusions about the quality of an environment, which may slow housing improvements for laboratory animals. Many review articles have addressed environmental enrichment for laboratory rats and mice (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus). We conducted a metareview of 29 review articles to assess how enrichment has been defined and what are commonly described as its goals or requirements. Recommendations from each article were summarised to illustrate the conditions generally considered suitable for laboratory rodents. While there is no consensus on alternative terminology, many articles acknowledged that the blanket use of the terms “enriched” and “enrichment” should be avoided. Environmental enrichment was most often conceptualised as a method to increase natural behaviour and improve animal welfare. Authors also commonly outlined perceived risks and requirements of environmental enrichment. We discuss these perceptions, make suggestions for future research, and advocate for the adoption of more specific and value-neutral terminology.
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Cait J, Cait A, Scott RW, Winder CB, Mason GJ. Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: results of a meta-analysis. BMC Biol 2022; 20:15. [PMID: 35022024 PMCID: PMC8756709 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01184-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over 120 million mice and rats are used annually in research, conventionally housed in shoebox-sized cages that restrict natural behaviours (e.g. nesting and burrowing). This can reduce physical fitness, impair thermoregulation and reduce welfare (e.g. inducing abnormal stereotypic behaviours). In humans, chronic stress has biological costs, increasing disease risks and potentially shortening life. Using a pre-registered protocol ( https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/17955 ), this meta-analysis therefore tested the hypothesis that, compared to rodents in 'enriched' housing that better meets their needs, conventional housing increases stress-related morbidity and all-cause mortality. RESULTS Comprehensive searches (via Ovid, CABI, Web of Science, Proquest and SCOPUS on May 24 2020) yielded 10,094 publications. Screening for inclusion criteria (published in English, using mice or rats and providing 'enrichments' in long-term housing) yielded 214 studies (within 165 articles, using 6495 animals: 59.1% mice; 68.2% male; 31.8% isolation-housed), and data on all-cause mortality plus five experimentally induced stress-sensitive diseases: anxiety, cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression and stroke. The Systematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) tool assessed individual studies' risks of bias. Random-effects meta-analyses supported the hypothesis: conventional housing significantly exacerbated disease severity with medium to large effect sizes: cancer (SMD = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54-0.88); cardiovascular disease (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.35-1.09); stroke (SMD = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.59-1.15); signs of anxiety (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.56-1.25); signs of depression (SMD = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.98-1.49). It also increased mortality rates (hazard ratio = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.25-1.74; relative median survival = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.89-0.94). Meta-regressions indicated that such housing effects were ubiquitous across species and sexes, but could not identify the most impactful improvements to conventional housing. Data variability (assessed via coefficient of variation) was also not increased by 'enriched' housing. CONCLUSIONS Conventional housing appears sufficiently distressing to compromise rodent health, raising ethical concerns. Results also add to previous work to show that research rodents are typically CRAMPED (cold, rotund, abnormal, male-biased, poorly surviving, enclosed and distressed), raising questions about the validity and generalisability of the data they generate. This research was funded by NSERC, Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Cait
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alissa Cait
- Department of Translational Immunology, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - R Wilder Scott
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Applied Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Charlotte B Winder
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Georgia J Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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Preclinical PET and SPECT imaging. Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-822960-6.00146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Hobbiesiefken U, Mieske P, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Evaluation of different types of enrichment - their usage and effect on home cage behavior in female mice. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261876. [PMID: 34941949 PMCID: PMC8699725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies ascertained positive effects of enriched environments on the well-being of laboratory animals including behavioral, physiological and neurochemical parameters. Conversely, such conclusions imply impaired animal welfare and health in barren husbandry conditions. Moreover, inappropriate housing of laboratory animals may deteriorate the quality of scientific data. Recommendations for housing laboratory animals stipulate that cages should be enriched to mitigate adverse effects of barren housing. In this context, it is not only unclear what exactly is meant by enrichment, but also how the animals themselves interact with the various items on offer. Focal animal observation of female C57BL/6J mice either housed in conventional (CON) or enriched (ENR) conditions served to analyze the impact of enriching housing on welfare related behavior patterns including stereotypical, maintenance, active social, and inactive behaviors. CON conditions resembled current usual housing of laboratory mice, whereas ENR mice received varying enrichment items including foraging, housing and structural elements, and a running disc. Active and inactive use of these elements was quantitatively assessed. CON mice showed significantly more inactive and stereotypical behavior than ENR mice. ENR mice frequently engaged with all enrichment elements, whereby riddles to obtain food reward and the running disc preferably served for active interactions. Offering a second level resulted in high active and inactive interactions. Structural elements fixed at the cagetop were least attractive for the mice. Overall, the presented data underline the positive welfare benefits of enrichment and that mice clearly differentiate between distinct enrichment types, demonstrating that the perspective of the animals themselves should also be taken into account when specifying laboratory housing conditions. This is particularly important, as the ensuring of animal welfare is an essential prerequisite for reliable, reproducible, and scientifically meaningful results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Mieske
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
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Loss CM, Melleu FF, Domingues K, Lino-de-Oliveira C, Viola GG. Combining Animal Welfare With Experimental Rigor to Improve Reproducibility in Behavioral Neuroscience. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:763428. [PMID: 34916915 PMCID: PMC8671008 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.763428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cássio Morais Loss
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/CAPES/FAPESP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Karolina Domingues
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cilene Lino-de-Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas do Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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Obermueller B, Castellani C, Till H, Reininger-Gutmann B, Singer G. An examination of nest-building behaviour using five different nesting materials in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice. Anim Welf 2021. [DOI: 10.7120/09627286.30.4.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The aim of our study was to assess the nest-building behaviour of two mouse (Mus musculus) strains using different nesting materials and examine possible sex- and housing-specific effects. Adult mice of two strains (C57BL/6J; n = 64 and BALB/cAnNCrl; n = 99) were randomly allocated
to the following housing groups: single-housed male, single-housed female, pair-housed male and pair-housed female. One of the following nest-building materials was placed in each home-cage in a random order: nestlets (Plexx BV, The Netherlands), cocoons (Carfil, Belgium), wooden wool, crinklets
and compact (all three, Safe, Germany). The following day, nests were rated applying a nest-scoring scale ranging from 0 to 10, the nests were removed, and a different nest-building material provided. In both tested strains, nestlets achieved the highest nest-building scores when compared
to the other four nest-building materials. All nest-building materials scored higher in BALB/c mice compared to C57BL/6J animals reaching statistical significance in crinklets only. Sex comparison revealed that female C57BL/6J mice only scored significantly higher using crinklets than males
and BALB/c female mice were rated significantly higher using wooden wool, cocoons and compact than their male counterparts. While pair-housed C57BL/6J animals built higher-rated nests than single-housed mice in the C57BL/6J strain in all five materials tested, the scores were not significantly
different in the BALB/c strain. Results of the present study reveal significant strain-, sex- and housing-related influences on the complexity of nests using different standardised building materials. Such observations need to be taken into account when planning the optimal enrichment programme
for laboratory animals.
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Thomas KN, Zimmel KN, Roach AN, Basel A, Mehta NA, Bedi YS, Golding MC. Maternal background alters the penetrance of growth phenotypes and sex-specific placental adaptation of offspring sired by alcohol-exposed males. FASEB J 2021; 35:e22035. [PMID: 34748230 PMCID: PMC8713293 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101131r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms of paternal inheritance are an emerging area of interest in our efforts to understand fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. In rodent models examining maternal alcohol exposures, different maternal genetic backgrounds protect or sensitize offspring to alcohol‐induced teratogenesis. However, whether maternal background can mitigate sperm‐inherited alterations in developmental programming and modify the penetrance of growth defects induced by preconception paternal alcohol exposures remains unaddressed. In our previous studies examining pure C57Bl/6J crosses, the offspring of alcohol‐exposed sires exhibited fetal growth restriction, enlarged placentas, and decreased placental efficiency. Here, we find that in contrast to our previous studies, the F1 offspring of alcohol‐exposed C57Bl/6J sires and CD‐1 dams do not exhibit fetal growth restriction, with male fetuses developing smaller placentas and increased placental efficiencies. However, in these hybrid offspring, preconception paternal alcohol exposure induces sex‐specific changes in placental morphology. Specifically, the female offspring of alcohol‐exposed sires displayed structural changes in the junctional and labyrinth zones, along with increased placental glycogen content. These changes in placental organization are accompanied by female‐specific alterations in the expression of imprinted genes Cdkn1c and H19. Although male placentae do not display overt changes in placental histology, using RNA‐sequencing, we identified programmed alterations in genes regulating oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial function, and Sirtuin signaling. Collectively, our data reveal that preconception paternal alcohol exposure transmits a stressor to developing offspring, that males and females exhibit distinct patterns of placental adaptation, and that maternal genetic background can modulate the effects of paternal alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara N Thomas
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Katherine N Zimmel
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Alexis N Roach
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Alison Basel
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Nicole A Mehta
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Yudhishtar S Bedi
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Michael C Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Mieske P, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Roaming in a Land of Milk and Honey: Life Trajectories and Metabolic Rate of Female Inbred Mice Living in a Semi Naturalistic Environment. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11103002. [PMID: 34680021 PMCID: PMC8532919 DOI: 10.3390/ani11103002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts at standardization, the results of scientific studies can vary greatly, especially when considering animal research. It is important to emphasize that consistent different personality-like traits emerge and accumulate over time in laboratory mice despite genetic and environmental standardization. To understand to what extent variability can unfold over time, we conducted a long-term study using inbred mice living in an exceptionally complex environment comprising an area of 4.6 m2 spread over five levels. In this semi-naturalistic environment (SNE) the activity and spatial distribution of 20 female C57Bl/6J was recorded by radio-frequency identification (RFID). All individuals were monitored from an age of 11 months to 22 months and their individual pattern of spatial movement in time is described as roaming entropy. Overall, we detected an increase of diversification in roaming behavior over time with stabilizing activity patterns at the individual level. However, spontaneous behavior of the animals as well as physiological parameters did not correlate with cumulative roaming entropy. Moreover, the amount of variability did not exceed the literature data derived from mice living in restricted conventional laboratory conditions. We conclude that even taking quantum leaps towards improving animal welfare does not inevitably mean a setback in terms of data quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (K.D.); (L.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (K.D.); (L.L.)
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (K.D.); (L.L.)
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany
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37
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Schapiro SJ, Neal Webb SJ, Mulholland MM, Lambeth SP. Behavioral Management is a Key Component of Ethical Research. ILAR J 2021; 60:389-396. [PMID: 33434922 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral management programs aim to enhance the welfare of animal subjects that participate in research, thereby enhancing our ability to conduct ethical research projects. Socialization strategies, environmental enrichment techniques, opportunities for subjects to voluntarily participate in research procedures, and the provision of Functionally Appropriate Captive Environments are 4 major components of most behavioral management programs. The appropriate implementation of behavioral management programs should provide animals with opportunities to engage in species-typical activity patterns, contributing to valid and reliable animal models that require the smallest number of subjects to achieve meaningful results. The role that socialization strategies, environmental enrichment techniques, and positive reinforcement training can play in maintaining and enhancing welfare through the stimulation of species-typical behavior and the prevention of abnormal behavior is discussed. The value of empirically assessing the effects of behavioral management techniques is emphasized. Additionally, the necessity of adjusting the relative prioritization of needs related to the convenience of human caregivers and the animals themselves is addressed. For the purposes of this discussion, research projects are considered to be ethical if they (1) involve animals with high welfare, (2) provide data that are reliable and valid, (3) involve appropriate numbers of subjects, and (4) involve animals that are appropriate models to test meaningful hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sarah J Neal Webb
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michele M Mulholland
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Susan P Lambeth
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA
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Ratuski AS, Makowska IJ, Dvorack KR, Weary DM. Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18683. [PMID: 34548608 PMCID: PMC8455539 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98356-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory mice are typically housed in “shoebox" cages that limit the expression of natural behaviours. Temporary access to more complex environments (playpens) may improve their welfare. We aimed to assess if access to playpens is rewarding for conventionally-housed mice and to document mouse behaviour during playpen access. Female C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, and DBA/2J mice were provided temporary access to a large enriched playpen three times per week; control mice remained in their home cages. We measured latency to enter playpens and anticipatory behaviour to determine if access was rewarding, and recorded mouse behaviour during playpen sessions. Over time, playpen mice entered the playpen more quickly; latency declined from 168 ± 22 to 13 ± 2 s over the 14-d trial. As expected, playpen mice showed an increase in anticipatory behaviour before playpen access (mean ± SE = 19.7 ± 2.6 behavioural transitions), while control mice showed no change in anticipatory behaviour relative to baseline values (2.4 ± 1.6 transitions). Mice in the playpen performed more ambulatory behaviours than control mice who remained in home cages (21.5 ± 0.7 vs 6.9 ± 1.1 observations of 25 total observations). We conclude that conventionally-housed mice find voluntary playpen access rewarding, and suggest this as a useful option for providing laboratory mice with access to more complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Ratuski
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada.
| | - I Joanna Makowska
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Kaitlyn R Dvorack
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z6, Canada
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39
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Lidocaine and bupivacaine as part of multimodal pain management in a C57BL/6J laparotomy mouse model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10918. [PMID: 34035397 PMCID: PMC8149411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90331-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While the use of local anesthesia as part of multimodal pain management is common practice in human and veterinarian surgery, these drugs are not applied routinely in rodent surgery. Several recommendations on the use of local anesthesia exist, but systematic studies on their efficacy and side effects are lacking. In the present study, male and female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to a sham vasectomy or a sham embryo transfer, respectively. We tested whether a mixture of subcutaneously injected Lidocaine and Bupivacaine in combination with systemic Paracetamol applied via drinking water results in superior pain relief when compared to treatment with local anesthesia or Paracetamol alone. We applied a combination of methods to assess behavioral, emotional, and physiological changes indicative of pain. Voluntary Paracetamol intake via drinking water reached the target dosage of 200 mg/kg in most animals. Local anesthesia did not lead to obvious side effects such as irregular wound healing or systemic disorders. No relevant sex differences were detected in our study. Sevoflurane anesthesia and surgery affected physiological and behavioral measurements. Surprisingly, Paracetamol treatment alone significantly increased the Mouse Grimace Scale. Taken together, mice treated with a combination of local anesthesia and systemic analgesia did not show fewer signs of post-surgical pain or improved recovery compared to animals treated with either local anesthesia or Paracetamol.
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40
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Normann MC, Cox M, Akinbo OI, Watanasriyakul WT, Kovalev D, Ciosek S, Miller T, Grippo AJ. Differential paraventricular nucleus activation and behavioral responses to social isolation in prairie voles following environmental enrichment with and without physical exercise. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:375-390. [PMID: 33947321 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1926320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social stressors produce neurobiological and emotional consequences in social species. Environmental interventions, such as environmental enrichment and exercise, may modulate physiological and behavioral stress responses. The present study investigated the benefits of environmental enrichment and exercise against social stress in the socially monogamous prairie vole. Female prairie voles remained paired with a sibling (control) or were isolated from a sibling for 4 weeks. The isolated groups were assigned to isolated sedentary, isolated with environmental enrichment, or isolated with both enrichment and exercise conditions. Behaviors related to depression, anxiety, and sociality were investigated using the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM), and a social crowding stressor (SCS), respectively. cFos expression was evaluated in stress-related circuitry following the SCS. Both enrichment and enrichment with exercise protected against depression-relevant behaviors in the FST and social behavioral disruptions in the SCS, but only enrichment with exercise protected against anxiety-related behaviors in the EPM and altered cFos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in isolated prairie voles. Enrichment may improve emotion-related and social behaviors, however physical exercise may be an important component of environmental strategies for protecting against anxiety-related behaviors and reducing neural activation as a function of social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marigny C Normann
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Miranda Cox
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Oreoluwa I Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | | | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Ciosek
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Thomas Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Angela J Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Resasco A, MacLellan A, Ayala MA, Kitchenham L, Edwards AM, Lam S, Dejardin S, Mason G. Cancer blues? A promising judgment bias task indicates pessimism in nude mice with tumors. Physiol Behav 2021; 238:113465. [PMID: 34029586 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In humans, affective states can bias responses to ambiguous information: a phenomenon termed judgment bias (JB). Judgment biases have great potential for assessing affective states in animals, in both animal welfare and biomedical research. New animal JB tasks require construct validation, but for laboratory mice (Mus musculus), the most common research vertebrate, a valid JB task has proved elusive. Here (Experiment 1), we demonstrate construct validity for a novel mouse JB test: an olfactory Go/Go task in which subjects dig for high- or low-value food rewards. In C57BL/6 and Balb/c mice faced with ambiguous cues, latencies to dig were sensitive to high/low welfare housing: environmentally-enriched animals responded with relative 'optimism' through shorter latencies. Illustrating the versatility of this validated JB task across different fields of research, it further allowed us to test hypotheses about the mood-altering effects of cancer in male and female nude mice (Experiment 2). Males, although not females, treated ambiguous cues as intermediate; and males bearing subcutaneous lung adenocarcinomas also responded more pessimistically to these than did healthy controls. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a valid mouse JB task, and the first demonstration of pessimism in tumor-bearing animals. This task still needs to be refined to improve its sensitivity. However, it has great potential for investigating mouse welfare, the links between affective state and disease, depression-like states in animals, and hypotheses regarding the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie affect-mediated biases in judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Resasco
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, National Scientific and Technical Research Council-University of Buenos Aires, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratory of Experimental Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - A MacLellan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - M A Ayala
- Laboratory of Experimental Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - L Kitchenham
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - A M Edwards
- Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - S Lam
- Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - S Dejardin
- Formerly Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - G Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
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42
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Guzylack-Piriou L, Ménard S. Early Life Exposure to Food Contaminants and Social Stress as Risk Factor for Metabolic Disorders Occurrence?-An Overview. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11050687. [PMID: 34063694 PMCID: PMC8147825 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The global prevalence of obesity has been increasing in recent years and is now the major public health challenge worldwide. While the risks of developing metabolic disorders (MD) including obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been historically thought to be essentially driven by increased caloric intake and lack of exercise, this is insufficient to account for the observed changes in disease trends. Based on human epidemiological and pre-clinical experimental studies, this overview questioned the role of non-nutritional components as contributors to the epidemic of MD with a special emphasis on food contaminants and social stress. This overview examines the impact of early life adverse events (ELAE) focusing on exposures to food contaminants or social stress on weight gain and T2D occurrence in the offspring and explores potential mechanisms leading to MD in adulthood. Indeed, summing up data on both ELAE models in parallel allowed us to identify common patterns that appear worthwhile to study in MD etiology. This overview provides some evidence of a link between ELAE-induced intestinal barrier disruption, inflammation, epigenetic modifications, and the occurrence of MD. This overview sums up evidence that MD could have developmental origins and that ELAE are risk factors for MD at adulthood independently of nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandrine Ménard
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, 31024 Toulouse, France;
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43
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Early environmental enrichment rescues memory impairments provoked by mild neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in adolescent mice. Behav Brain Res 2021; 407:113237. [PMID: 33798820 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is a consequence of a lack of oxygen and glucose support to the developing brain, which causes several neurodevelopmental impairments. Environmental enrichment (EE) is considered an option to recover the alterations observed in rodents exposed to HI. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of early EE on memory, hippocampal volume and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bbnf) and glucocorticoid receptor (Nr3c1) gene expression of mice exposed to HI. At P10, pups underwent right carotid artery permanent occlusion followed by 35 min of 8% O2 hypoxic environment. Starting at P11, animals were reared in EE or in standard cage (HI-SC or SHAM-SC) conditions until behavioral testing (P45). SHAM pups did not undergo carotid ligation and hypoxic exposure. Memory performance was assessed in the Y-maze, Novel object recognition, and Barnes maze. Animals were then sacrificed for analysis of hippocampal volume and Bdnf and Nr3c1 gene expression. We observed that animals exposed to HI performed worse in all three tests compared to SHAM animals. Furthermore, HI animals exposed to EE did not differ from SHAM animals in all tasks. Moreover, HI decreased hippocampal volume, while animals reared in early EE were not different compared to SHAM animals. Animals exposed to HI also showed upregulated hippocampal Bdnf expression compared to SHAM animals. We conclude that early EE from P11 to P45 proved to be effective in recovering memory impairments and hippocampal volume loss elicited by HI. Nevertheless, Bdnf expression was not associated with the improvements in memory performance observed in animals exposed to EE after a hypoxic-ischemic event.
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44
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Stevens CH, Reed BT, Hawkins P. Enrichment for Laboratory Zebrafish-A Review of the Evidence and the Challenges. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030698. [PMID: 33807683 PMCID: PMC8001412 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The zebrafish is one of the most commonly used animals in scientific research, but there remains a lack of consensus over good practice for zebrafish housing and care. One such area which lacks agreement is whether laboratory zebrafish should be provided with environmental enrichment—additions or modifications to the basic laboratory environment which aim to improve welfare, such as plastic plants in tanks. The need for the provision of appropriate environmental enrichment has been recognised in other laboratory animal species, but some scientists and animal care staff are hesitant to provide enrichment for zebrafish, arguing that there is little or no evidence that enrichment can benefit zebrafish welfare. This review aims to summarise the current literature on the effects of enrichment on zebrafish physiology, behaviour and welfare, and identifies some forms of enrichment which are likely to benefit zebrafish. It also considers the possible challenges that might be associated with introducing more enrichment, and how these might be addressed. Abstract Good practice for the housing and care of laboratory zebrafish Danio rerio is an increasingly discussed topic, with focus on appropriate water quality parameters, stocking densities, feeding regimes, anaesthesia and analgesia practices, methods of humane killing, and more. One area of current attention is around the provision of environmental enrichment. Enrichment is accepted as an essential requirement for meeting the behavioural needs and improving the welfare of many laboratory animal species, but in general, provision for zebrafish is minimal. Some of those involved in the care and use of zebrafish suggest there is a ‘lack of evidence’ that enrichment has welfare benefits for this species, or cite a belief that zebrafish do not ‘need’ enrichment. Concerns are also sometimes raised around the practical challenges of providing enrichments, or that they may impact on the science being undertaken. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that various forms of enrichment are preferred by zebrafish over a barren tank, and that enriched conditions can improve welfare by reducing stress and anxiety. This review explores the effects that enrichment can have on zebrafish behaviour, physiology and welfare, and considers the challenges to facilities of providing more enrichment for the zebrafish they house.
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Abstract
Self-mutilation and abnormal repetitive behaviors in small mammals are challenging conditions for veterinary practitioners. The etiology may be difficult to identify, and the treatment is often unrewarding unless the specific underlying cause can be found. Reinforcement of the abnormal behavior may also complicate the treatment. However, medical causes, including painful conditions, should be investigated thoroughly. Owing to the small blood volume of many small exotic mammals and the associated risk of hypovolemia in case of hemorrhage, an hospitalization with potent multimodal analgesia and physical barriers to prevent self-mutilation is often warranted. Psychogenic drugs may be useful in some cases.
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46
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Mesa-Gresa P, Ramos-Campos M, Redolat R. Behavioral impact of experience based on environmental enrichment: Influence of age and duration of exposure in male NMRI mice. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1071-1081. [PMID: 33452673 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Prior studies have suggested that short periods of exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) in rodents induce physiological and behavioral effects. In the present study, our aim was to evaluate if the impact of experiences based on EE could be modulated by the age of onset and the developmental period of exposure. NMRI male mice (n = 64) were exposed to EE or standard environment (SE) and behavioral changes (anxiety, exploration, memory and social interaction) were evaluated. Groups compared were: (a) SE: exposure to SE on post-natal day (PND) 28 and lasting 6 months; (b) EE-6: exposure to EE on PND 28 and lasting 6 months; (c) EE-4: exposure to EE on PND 91 and lasting 4 months; (d) EE-2: exposure to EE on PND 154 and lasting 2 months. Results indicated that in the hole-board task the decrease in exploratory behavior reached significance when EE was initiated at adolescence whereas anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus-maze tend to diminish after a longer period of EE. No significant effects of EE on aggressive behavior or novel object recognition were obtained. Taking these results into account, further studies are needed in order to determine the possible modulating role of age and duration of exposure to enriched environments on behavior. Results obtained could explain some discrepancies reported in previous studies, providing new evidence that could contribute to the design of future research related to the benefits of complex and enriched environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Mesa-Gresa
- Departamento Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Ramos-Campos
- Departamento Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosa Redolat
- Departamento Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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47
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Allen PS, Lawrence J, Stasula U, Pallas BD, Freeman ZT. Effects of Compressed Paper Bedding on Mouse Breeding Performance and Recognition of Animal Health Concerns. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2021; 60:28-36. [PMID: 33323163 PMCID: PMC7831347 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-20-000036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The combination of bedding substrate and nesting material within the microenvironment of mice is an important consideration for animal care programs in regard to optimizing animal wellbeing. We used 3 general or breeding mouse colonies in our institution to evaluate the effects of bedding substrate on nest building, breeding performance, and recognition of animal health concerns. A scoring system was developed to assess the incorporation of bedding into the nest cup base and walls (nest base incorporation, NBI) in a controlled study with mice bedded on either compressed paper (CP) or corncob (CC) bedding. Compared with CC cages, CP cages had higher NBI scores. To determine the influence of bedding type on the recognition of animal health concerns in an animal facility, cages bedded with CC followed by CP were evaluated for the overall frequency of health-concern reports during a 2-mo time frame for each bedding type in a single-subject A-B study design. The frequency of animal health-concern reports was similar in cages using CC or CP bedding. The animal health condition, rather than bedding type, was associated with the severity of the health problem at the initial report. Breeding performance was compared for 6 mo in matched CC and CP cages containing one of 13 genetically modified mouse lines. NBI scores were higher for breeders housed on CP compared with CC bedding. Monogamous breeder pairs housed on CP had significantly higher indexes of breeding performance (measured as the number of pups per dam per week on study) than did CC cages. This report supports the use of CP bedding in the mouse microenvironment to improve general wellbeing by supporting nesting behavior and reproductive performance without hindering the detection of animal health concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Portia S Allen
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Josephine Lawrence
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ulana Stasula
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Brooke D Pallas
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Zachary T Freeman
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan;,
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48
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Lagisz M, Zidar J, Nakagawa S, Neville V, Sorato E, Paul ES, Bateson M, Mendl M, Løvlie H. Optimism, pessimism and judgement bias in animals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:3-17. [PMID: 32682742 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Just as happy people see the proverbial glass as half-full, 'optimistic' or 'pessimistic' responses to ambiguity might also reflect affective states in animals. Judgement bias tests, designed to measure these responses, are an increasingly popular way of assessing animal affect and there is now a substantial, but heterogeneous, literature on their use across different species, affect manipulations, and study designs. By conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of 459 effect sizes from 71 studies of non-pharmacological affect manipulations on 22 non-human species, we show that animals in relatively better conditions, assumed to generate more positive affect, show more 'optimistic' judgements of ambiguity than those in relatively worse conditions. Overall effects are small when considering responses to all cues, but become more pronounced when non-ambiguous training cues are excluded from analyses or when focusing only on the most divergent responses between treatment groups. Task type (go/no-go; go/go active choice), training cue reinforcement (reward-punishment; reward-null; reward-reward) and sex of animals emerge as potential moderators of effect sizes in judgement bias tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Josefina Zidar
- The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
| | - Vikki Neville
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Sorato
- The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Elizabeth S Paul
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Mendl
- Centre for Behavioural Biology, Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
| | - Hanne Løvlie
- The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
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49
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Pritchett-Corning KR. Environmental Complexity and Research Outcomes. ILAR J 2020; 60:239-251. [PMID: 32559304 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental complexity is an experimental paradigm as well as a potential part of animals' everyday housing experiences. In experimental uses, researchers add complexity to stimulate brain development, delay degenerative brain changes, elicit more naturalistic behaviors, and test learning and memory. Complexity can exacerbate or mitigate behavioral problems, give animals a sense of control, and allow for expression of highly driven, species-typical behaviors that can improve animal welfare. Complex environments should be designed thoughtfully with the animal's natural behaviors in mind, reported faithfully in the literature, and evaluated carefully for unexpected effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Lieggi C, Kalueff AV, Lawrence C, Collymore C. The Influence of Behavioral, Social, and Environmental Factors on Reproducibility and Replicability in Aquatic Animal Models. ILAR J 2020; 60:270-288. [PMID: 32400880 PMCID: PMC7743897 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilz019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The publication of reproducible, replicable, and translatable data in studies utilizing animal models is a scientific, practical, and ethical necessity. This requires careful planning and execution of experiments and accurate reporting of results. Recognition that numerous developmental, environmental, and test-related factors can affect experimental outcomes is essential for a quality study design. Factors commonly considered when designing studies utilizing aquatic animal species include strain, sex, or age of the animal; water quality; temperature; and acoustic and light conditions. However, in the aquatic environment, it is equally important to consider normal species behavior, group dynamics, stocking density, and environmental complexity, including tank design and structural enrichment. Here, we will outline normal species and social behavior of 2 commonly used aquatic species: zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Xenopus (X. laevis and X. tropicalis). We also provide examples as to how these behaviors and the complexity of the tank environment can influence research results and provide general recommendations to assist with improvement of reproducibility and replicability, particularly as it pertains to behavior and environmental complexity, when utilizing these popular aquatic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Lieggi
- Center of Comparative Medicine and Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, and Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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