Pub Date : 2024-09-23DOI: 10.1177/00236772241244527
Ismene A Dontas, Derek J Fry, David I Lewis, Kenneth Applebee, Martje Fentener van Vlissingen, Katerina Marinou, Johannes Schenkel
This document provides assessment criteria for evaluation of each of the Learning Outcomes of the Modules specified (in addition to the Core Modules) for those designing procedures and projects in the Education and Training Framework guidance document by the European Commission and endorsed by the Member States Competent Authorities. This Working Group was tasked to produce these criteria by the Education & Training Platform for Laboratory Animal Science, which was funded by the European Commission to this aim. The assessment criteria address knowledge and skills (including critical thinking) expected to be acquired during education and training of persons preparing to design research procedures and projects using animals under the scope of Directive 2010/63/EU. Recognizing the diversity of expertise and experiences of those being educated and trained, we provide two levels of attainment, an ideal response and one that would be acceptable for each Learning Outcome. The balance between ideal and acceptable could be decided by the particular course providers and/or assessors, according to their local requirements. We envisage that the use of these assessment criteria by training providers and accrediting or approving bodies will help harmonize the education and training for those who will design procedures and projects using animals for scientific purposes. In Europe, this may also contribute to mutual recognition of training, and facilitate free movement of scientists.
{"title":"Guidance on the assessment of learning outcomes for those designing procedures and projects - Report of an ETPLAS Working Group.","authors":"Ismene A Dontas, Derek J Fry, David I Lewis, Kenneth Applebee, Martje Fentener van Vlissingen, Katerina Marinou, Johannes Schenkel","doi":"10.1177/00236772241244527","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241244527","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This document provides assessment criteria for evaluation of each of the Learning Outcomes of the Modules specified (in addition to the Core Modules) for those designing procedures and projects in the Education and Training Framework guidance document by the European Commission and endorsed by the Member States Competent Authorities. This Working Group was tasked to produce these criteria by the Education & Training Platform for Laboratory Animal Science, which was funded by the European Commission to this aim. The assessment criteria address knowledge and skills (including critical thinking) expected to be acquired during education and training of persons preparing to design research procedures and projects using animals under the scope of Directive 2010/63/EU. Recognizing the diversity of expertise and experiences of those being educated and trained, we provide two levels of attainment, an ideal response and one that would be acceptable for each Learning Outcome. The balance between ideal and acceptable could be decided by the particular course providers and/or assessors, according to their local requirements. We envisage that the use of these assessment criteria by training providers and accrediting or approving bodies will help harmonize the education and training for those who will design procedures and projects using animals for scientific purposes. In Europe, this may also contribute to mutual recognition of training, and facilitate free movement of scientists.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142290373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-11DOI: 10.1177/00236772241257132
Marcia S C Oliveira, Tatiana X Castro, Camila F Baez, Simone Ramos, Gabriel R Azevedo, Carolina M de Castro, Ana Clara SS de Paula, Laura MB Levy, Emanuelle da S do Nascimento, Rafael B Varella
This study aimed to investigate the presence of murine astrovirus (MuAstV) in Brazil. Fecal samples from mice belonging to four Brazilian animal facilities were collected and tested for MuAstV using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Of the 162 samples tested, 38 (23.5%) were positive for MuAstV, 33 (91.7%) of which came from specific-pathogen free colonies. Although most of the samples were obtained from asymptomatic animals, three mice presented diarrheal symptoms, and MuAstV was the only agent detected by molecular assay. Phylogenetic analysis revealed similarities between the MuAstV strains from this study and prototypes from the USA. MuAstV’s high prevalence, environmental stability, genetic diversity and potential for persistent infections must be considered when evaluating health monitoring programs for laboratory rodents.
{"title":"Murine astrovirus (MuAstV) infection in mouse facilities in Brazil: First South American report","authors":"Marcia S C Oliveira, Tatiana X Castro, Camila F Baez, Simone Ramos, Gabriel R Azevedo, Carolina M de Castro, Ana Clara SS de Paula, Laura MB Levy, Emanuelle da S do Nascimento, Rafael B Varella","doi":"10.1177/00236772241257132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241257132","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to investigate the presence of murine astrovirus (MuAstV) in Brazil. Fecal samples from mice belonging to four Brazilian animal facilities were collected and tested for MuAstV using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Of the 162 samples tested, 38 (23.5%) were positive for MuAstV, 33 (91.7%) of which came from specific-pathogen free colonies. Although most of the samples were obtained from asymptomatic animals, three mice presented diarrheal symptoms, and MuAstV was the only agent detected by molecular assay. Phylogenetic analysis revealed similarities between the MuAstV strains from this study and prototypes from the USA. MuAstV’s high prevalence, environmental stability, genetic diversity and potential for persistent infections must be considered when evaluating health monitoring programs for laboratory rodents.","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142178102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of obtaining vital sign information using a laser and radar sensor in a manner that is non-invasive and painless for test animals. A dataset was obtained from respiratory movement of anaesthetized male F344 rats, signals of laser and radar sensors were recorded simultaneously with vital data acquired with an integrated multiple-channel intraoperative monitor. In addition, respiratory movements were also video recorded, and used as reference data of respiration rate (RR; ref-RR). Reference data for heart rate (HR; ref-HR) were obtained from the R wave of electrocardiogram data for each epoch. Signals recorded from the radar sensor (I- and Q-signals) were input to a computer, and HR (radar-HR) and RR (radar-RR) were estimated using the frequency analysis method. Among the six positions where respiratory movements were measured by the laser sensor, the number of peak counts matched the visual counts of respiratory movements in the video records. The respiratory movements were significantly the greatest over the most caudal rib in the dorsal ( p < 0.001). The average radar-RR and ref-RR values showed correspondence (ref-RR, 69 ± 6.2 breaths/min; radar-RR, 68 ± 5.7 breaths/min ( p = 0.04–1.00); equivalence ratio, 86%). The radar-HR data showed slight variability; however, there was 80% homology compared with the ref-HR values (ref-HR, 336 ± 19.6 beats/min; radar-HR, 348 ± 34.1 ( p = 0.10–0.95)). Although comparison of the data under noradrenaline administration failed to track drug-induced changes in some cases, the HR and RR data of anesthetized rats measured from the radar sensor system showed comparable accuracy to other conventional methods.
{"title":"Non-invasive acquisition of vital data in anesthetized rats using laser and radar application","authors":"Toshiaki Kawabe, Shota Kita, Isao Ohmura, Ryuji Michino, Hidenori Watanabe, Guanghao Sun, Seiya Inoue","doi":"10.1177/00236772241265541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241265541","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of obtaining vital sign information using a laser and radar sensor in a manner that is non-invasive and painless for test animals. A dataset was obtained from respiratory movement of anaesthetized male F344 rats, signals of laser and radar sensors were recorded simultaneously with vital data acquired with an integrated multiple-channel intraoperative monitor. In addition, respiratory movements were also video recorded, and used as reference data of respiration rate (RR; ref-RR). Reference data for heart rate (HR; ref-HR) were obtained from the R wave of electrocardiogram data for each epoch. Signals recorded from the radar sensor (I- and Q-signals) were input to a computer, and HR (radar-HR) and RR (radar-RR) were estimated using the frequency analysis method. Among the six positions where respiratory movements were measured by the laser sensor, the number of peak counts matched the visual counts of respiratory movements in the video records. The respiratory movements were significantly the greatest over the most caudal rib in the dorsal ( p < 0.001). The average radar-RR and ref-RR values showed correspondence (ref-RR, 69 ± 6.2 breaths/min; radar-RR, 68 ± 5.7 breaths/min ( p = 0.04–1.00); equivalence ratio, 86%). The radar-HR data showed slight variability; however, there was 80% homology compared with the ref-HR values (ref-HR, 336 ± 19.6 beats/min; radar-HR, 348 ± 34.1 ( p = 0.10–0.95)). Although comparison of the data under noradrenaline administration failed to track drug-induced changes in some cases, the HR and RR data of anesthetized rats measured from the radar sensor system showed comparable accuracy to other conventional methods.","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142178103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-05DOI: 10.1177/00236772241273010
Steven E M Poos, Bob P Hermans, Harry van Goor, Richard P G Ten Broek
Novel interventions for seroma prevention are urgently needed in clinical practice. Animal models are pivotal tools for testing these interventions; however, a significant translational gap persists between clinical and animal model outcomes. This systematic review aims to assess the methodological characteristics and quality of animal models utilized for seroma prevention. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the expected seroma incidence rate for control groups and determine the effect size of typical interventions. We systematically retrieved all studies describing animal models in which seroma formation was induced. Methodological characteristics, risks of bias, and study quality were assessed. Seroma volume and -incidence data were used for the meta-analysis. In total, 55 studies were included, with 42 eligible for meta-analysis. Rats (69%) were the most frequently used species, with mastectomy (50%) being the predominant surgical procedure in these models. Despite significant risks of bias across all studies, an improving trend in reporting quality per decade was observed. The meta-analysis revealed an average seroma incidence of 90% in typical control groups. The average intervention halved the seroma incidence (RR = 0.49; CI 0.35, 0.70) and significantly reduced seroma volume (SMD = -3.31; CI -4.21, -2.41), although notable heterogeneity was present. In conclusion, animal models for seroma prevention exhibit methodological flaws and multiple risks of bias. Implementing sufficiently powered positive and negative control groups could improve the internal validity of these models. More research is needed for further development of animal seroma models.
{"title":"Animal models for preventing seroma after surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Steven E M Poos, Bob P Hermans, Harry van Goor, Richard P G Ten Broek","doi":"10.1177/00236772241273010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241273010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Novel interventions for seroma prevention are urgently needed in clinical practice. Animal models are pivotal tools for testing these interventions; however, a significant translational gap persists between clinical and animal model outcomes. This systematic review aims to assess the methodological characteristics and quality of animal models utilized for seroma prevention. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the expected seroma incidence rate for control groups and determine the effect size of typical interventions. We systematically retrieved all studies describing animal models in which seroma formation was induced. Methodological characteristics, risks of bias, and study quality were assessed. Seroma volume and -incidence data were used for the meta-analysis. In total, 55 studies were included, with 42 eligible for meta-analysis. Rats (69%) were the most frequently used species, with mastectomy (50%) being the predominant surgical procedure in these models. Despite significant risks of bias across all studies, an improving trend in reporting quality per decade was observed. The meta-analysis revealed an average seroma incidence of 90% in typical control groups. The average intervention halved the seroma incidence (RR = 0.49; CI 0.35, 0.70) and significantly reduced seroma volume (SMD = -3.31; CI -4.21, -2.41), although notable heterogeneity was present. In conclusion, animal models for seroma prevention exhibit methodological flaws and multiple risks of bias. Implementing sufficiently powered positive and negative control groups could improve the internal validity of these models. More research is needed for further development of animal seroma models.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142133148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-03DOI: 10.1177/00236772241259089
Heidi L Morahan, Shari Cohen, Lisa Bero, Kieron B Rooney
There has been intense focus on improving the quality of animal research in recent times. An emerging concept of a 'culture of care' has been proposed as another important pillar to enhance scientific quality, with staff well-being being a critical aspect. Professionals working with research animals can face moral and psychological burdens and are at risk of experiencing work-related stress. However, data on the global prevalence of stress in this population is limited. Equally, it is not clear how these stresses manifest, and what impact they might have on an individual's workplace performance and research quality. The purpose of this review was to identify work-related stress, its prevalence, and map evidence on strategies to mitigate stresses. We also set out to identify studies assessing the association between work-related stress and research quality. A systematic search was conducted across four databases, in addition to hand searching relevant references. We included peer-reviewed publications describing work-related stress, culture of care and laboratory animal professionals. A total of 49 publications were included for data mapping. Compassion fatigue was the most frequently described work-related stress, and its prevalence across Europe and North America is likely to be widespread. Multiple strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and work-related stress were put forward, however, limited empirical evidence was available to assess success. Moreover, no studies reported empirical data linking work-related stress with research quality, despite several publications stating the case. Further population-specific research and measured assessments are urgently needed to deliver culture of care programmes to improve human well-being, animal welfare and research quality.
{"title":"The culture of care to enhance laboratory animal personnel well-being: a scoping review.","authors":"Heidi L Morahan, Shari Cohen, Lisa Bero, Kieron B Rooney","doi":"10.1177/00236772241259089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241259089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There has been intense focus on improving the quality of animal research in recent times. An emerging concept of a 'culture of care' has been proposed as another important pillar to enhance scientific quality, with staff well-being being a critical aspect. Professionals working with research animals can face moral and psychological burdens and are at risk of experiencing work-related stress. However, data on the global prevalence of stress in this population is limited. Equally, it is not clear how these stresses manifest, and what impact they might have on an individual's workplace performance and research quality. The purpose of this review was to identify work-related stress, its prevalence, and map evidence on strategies to mitigate stresses. We also set out to identify studies assessing the association between work-related stress and research quality. A systematic search was conducted across four databases, in addition to hand searching relevant references. We included peer-reviewed publications describing work-related stress, culture of care and laboratory animal professionals. A total of 49 publications were included for data mapping. Compassion fatigue was the most frequently described work-related stress, and its prevalence across Europe and North America is likely to be widespread. Multiple strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and work-related stress were put forward, however, limited empirical evidence was available to assess success. Moreover, no studies reported empirical data linking work-related stress with research quality, despite several publications stating the case. Further population-specific research and measured assessments are urgently needed to deliver culture of care programmes to improve human well-being, animal welfare and research quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142126113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-20DOI: 10.1177/00236772241257726
Minkyoung Sung, Soo-Eun Sung, Joo-Hee Choi, Yujeong Lee, Kyung-Ku Kang, SunHee Park, Duyeol Kim, Sijoon Lee
Although pulmonary adenomas have been reported in ICR mice, spontaneous adenomas have not been reported in mice aged ≤10 weeks. Here, we report a well-circumscribed nodule (1 mm × 1 mm) in the peripheral lesion of the left lateral lobe of a 10-week-old male ICR mouse. Histopathologic evaluation revealed a well-demarcated nodule compressing the surrounding tissue. The neoplastic cells were polygonal with indistinct cellular borders, round/oval nuclei and abundant cytoplasm. These characteristics led to the diagnosis of type II cell-derived bronchioloalveolar adenoma. Given that they are generally observed in aged laboratory animals, this case represents a rare manifestation of a spontaneous tumor in young laboratory mice before puberty.
{"title":"Spontaneous type II cell-derived bronchioloalveolar adenoma in a young ICR mouse.","authors":"Minkyoung Sung, Soo-Eun Sung, Joo-Hee Choi, Yujeong Lee, Kyung-Ku Kang, SunHee Park, Duyeol Kim, Sijoon Lee","doi":"10.1177/00236772241257726","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241257726","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although pulmonary adenomas have been reported in ICR mice, spontaneous adenomas have not been reported in mice aged ≤10 weeks. Here, we report a well-circumscribed nodule (1 mm × 1 mm) in the peripheral lesion of the left lateral lobe of a 10-week-old male ICR mouse. Histopathologic evaluation revealed a well-demarcated nodule compressing the surrounding tissue. The neoplastic cells were polygonal with indistinct cellular borders, round/oval nuclei and abundant cytoplasm. These characteristics led to the diagnosis of type II cell-derived bronchioloalveolar adenoma. Given that they are generally observed in aged laboratory animals, this case represents a rare manifestation of a spontaneous tumor in young laboratory mice before puberty.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142004525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-19DOI: 10.1177/00236772241259618
Tilen Vake, Tomaž Snoj, Maja Čemažar, Urša Lampreht Tratar, Urban Stupan, Alenka Seliškar, Jan Plut, Tina Kosjek, Helena Plešnik, Marina Štukelj
Increasing use of pigs as models in translational research, and growing focus on animal welfare are leading to better use of effective analgesics and anaesthetics when painful procedures are performed. However, there is a gap in basic knowledge such as pharmacokinetics of different anaesthetics in these species. The main objective of our study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine in domestic pigs. Twelve female grower pigs weighing 31.17 ± 4.6 kg were subjected to general anaesthesia and experimental surgery, at the end of which they received 1 mg/kg levobupivacaine via peri-incisional subcutaneous infiltration. Plasma samples were collected before administration of levobupivacaine and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h thereafter. Concentrations of levobupivacaine were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Following single dose of levobupivacaine, all animals had measurable plasma concentrations 0.5 h after drug administration, with most peak concentrations observed at the 1-h time point. In all 12 animals, levobupivacaine was below the limit of quantification 48 h after drug administration. The mean maximum plasma concentration, area under the curve and half-life were determined to be 809.98 μg/l, 6552.46 μg/l h and 6.25 h, respectively. Plasma clearance, volume of distribution and weight-normalized volume of distribution were 4.41 l/h, 35.57 l and 1.23 l/kg, respectively. Peak plasma concentrations in our study were well below concentrations that were found to produce toxicity in pigs.
{"title":"Pharmacokinetics of single dose levobupivacaine after peri-incisional subcutaneous infiltration in anaesthetized domestic pigs.","authors":"Tilen Vake, Tomaž Snoj, Maja Čemažar, Urša Lampreht Tratar, Urban Stupan, Alenka Seliškar, Jan Plut, Tina Kosjek, Helena Plešnik, Marina Štukelj","doi":"10.1177/00236772241259618","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241259618","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Increasing use of pigs as models in translational research, and growing focus on animal welfare are leading to better use of effective analgesics and anaesthetics when painful procedures are performed. However, there is a gap in basic knowledge such as pharmacokinetics of different anaesthetics in these species. The main objective of our study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine in domestic pigs. Twelve female grower pigs weighing 31.17 ± 4.6 kg were subjected to general anaesthesia and experimental surgery, at the end of which they received 1 mg/kg levobupivacaine via peri-incisional subcutaneous infiltration. Plasma samples were collected before administration of levobupivacaine and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h thereafter. Concentrations of levobupivacaine were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Following single dose of levobupivacaine, all animals had measurable plasma concentrations 0.5 h after drug administration, with most peak concentrations observed at the 1-h time point. In all 12 animals, levobupivacaine was below the limit of quantification 48 h after drug administration. The mean maximum plasma concentration, area under the curve and half-life were determined to be 809.98 μg/l, 6552.46 μg/l h and 6.25 h, respectively. Plasma clearance, volume of distribution and weight-normalized volume of distribution were 4.41 l/h, 35.57 l and 1.23 l/kg, respectively. Peak plasma concentrations in our study were well below concentrations that were found to produce toxicity in pigs.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142000313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-19DOI: 10.1177/00236772241246370
Pablo Vázquez-Borsetti
The rat is one of the most employed animal models in biomedicine. Traditionally, weight gain has been utilized to gauge development and compare across species. Numerous studies have conducted longitudinal analyses of rat development, with emphasis on weight gain analysis. Given the high variability in these patterns, experimental data from a single laboratory may not be reliable for generalized estimation. This study aimed to analyze the effect of different factors on the pattern of weight gain during rat development. A literature survey was conducted to compile a database comprising nearly 300 data points of age and weight from 15 longitudinal studies. The database comprised both pre- and postnatal data. Utilizing the Gompertz equation, the data was analyzed to formulate a comprehensive model describing rat development. Differences in growth patterns became increasingly evident at later developmental stages, when significant differences in the maximum asymptote between sexes and strains were reached.
{"title":"Variability in rat weight gain during development.","authors":"Pablo Vázquez-Borsetti","doi":"10.1177/00236772241246370","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241246370","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rat is one of the most employed animal models in biomedicine. Traditionally, weight gain has been utilized to gauge development and compare across species. Numerous studies have conducted longitudinal analyses of rat development, with emphasis on weight gain analysis. Given the high variability in these patterns, experimental data from a single laboratory may not be reliable for generalized estimation. This study aimed to analyze the effect of different factors on the pattern of weight gain during rat development. A literature survey was conducted to compile a database comprising nearly 300 data points of age and weight from 15 longitudinal studies. The database comprised both pre- and postnatal data. Utilizing the Gompertz equation, the data was analyzed to formulate a comprehensive model describing rat development. Differences in growth patterns became increasingly evident at later developmental stages, when significant differences in the maximum asymptote between sexes and strains were reached.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142000316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-19DOI: 10.1177/00236772241252551
Martin D Burkhalter, Melanie Philipp
To carry out research with genetically modified animals, their genotype has to be assessed. A standard protocol to obtain required tissue samples from zebrafish is finclipping. However, some studies reported considerable stress induced by this protocol. We therefore assessed ventilation as a read-out for stress in zebrafish that underwent finclipping during routine genotyping in our fish facility. Our analysis could not confirm a strong increase of ventilation as had been previously reported. Instead, handled zebrafish showed ventilation rates in the range of controls that remained in their holding tanks. Additionally, we detected a slight reduction of ventilation rates up to an hour after anaesthesia in zebrafish treated with tricaine only, suggesting a prolonged protecting effect by this anaesthetic.
{"title":"Fin clipping does not increase opercular beat rate in tricaine-treated zebrafish.","authors":"Martin D Burkhalter, Melanie Philipp","doi":"10.1177/00236772241252551","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241252551","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To carry out research with genetically modified animals, their genotype has to be assessed. A standard protocol to obtain required tissue samples from zebrafish is finclipping. However, some studies reported considerable stress induced by this protocol. We therefore assessed ventilation as a read-out for stress in zebrafish that underwent finclipping during routine genotyping in our fish facility. Our analysis could not confirm a strong increase of ventilation as had been previously reported. Instead, handled zebrafish showed ventilation rates in the range of controls that remained in their holding tanks. Additionally, we detected a slight reduction of ventilation rates up to an hour after anaesthesia in zebrafish treated with tricaine only, suggesting a prolonged protecting effect by this anaesthetic.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142000312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-19DOI: 10.1177/00236772241249783
Jessica L Pinckard, Lauren A Gibson, Wendy R Williams
One of the favored options for generating complex transgenic laboratory mice is through in-house breeding and management strategies. One consideration in the management of these colonies is how the animals' environment may affect reproductive success. Several aspects of the microenvironment can be controlled or manipulated, including cage type, bedding, enrichment, diet, and temperature and humidity. This study sought to evaluate reproductive outcomes for C57BL/6J mice that were randomly assigned to one of two different bedding types: paper based or corncob bedding. Our hypothesis was there would be no significant difference in reproductive outcomes between the two bedding types. A total of 10 males and 10 females were paired at 45 days of age. Animals were allowed to breed for 15 consecutive weeks. Cages were checked daily for the presence of pups and a pup count was performed at 7 days of age. Weaning occurred at 20 or 21 days of age, at which time a final pup count, pup weight, and sex were recorded. All litters born and pups weaned in the 15-week timeframe were used for data analysis. Statistical analysis compared cannibalization between the two groups and the results showed no statistical difference between groups (p > 0.05). Other parameters analyzed included average litter size, average weaning weight, and number of litters per group. All pups counted at Day 7 survived to weaning age in both groups. We concluded that both bedding types produced similar success regarding breeding fecundity in C57BL/6J mice.
{"title":"Comparison of two bedding types on the breeding fecundity of C57BL/6J mice.","authors":"Jessica L Pinckard, Lauren A Gibson, Wendy R Williams","doi":"10.1177/00236772241249783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241249783","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the favored options for generating complex transgenic laboratory mice is through in-house breeding and management strategies. One consideration in the management of these colonies is how the animals' environment may affect reproductive success. Several aspects of the microenvironment can be controlled or manipulated, including cage type, bedding, enrichment, diet, and temperature and humidity. This study sought to evaluate reproductive outcomes for C57BL/6J mice that were randomly assigned to one of two different bedding types: paper based or corncob bedding. Our hypothesis was there would be no significant difference in reproductive outcomes between the two bedding types. A total of 10 males and 10 females were paired at 45 days of age. Animals were allowed to breed for 15 consecutive weeks. Cages were checked daily for the presence of pups and a pup count was performed at 7 days of age. Weaning occurred at 20 or 21 days of age, at which time a final pup count, pup weight, and sex were recorded. All litters born and pups weaned in the 15-week timeframe were used for data analysis. Statistical analysis compared cannibalization between the two groups and the results showed no statistical difference between groups (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Other parameters analyzed included average litter size, average weaning weight, and number of litters per group. All pups counted at Day 7 survived to weaning age in both groups. We concluded that both bedding types produced similar success regarding breeding fecundity in C57BL/6J mice.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142000310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}