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Gauvin DV, McComb M, Farero R. A Commentary on Fasting of Nonclinical Research Animals. Int J Toxicol 2024; 43:196-208. [PMID: 38151260 DOI: 10.1177/10915818231218975] [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: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
This commentary discusses the implementation of fasting in nonclinical animal experimental subjects. The short-term removal of food from cages of experimental animals is in all respects innocuous. The term "stress" is ill-defined and the statutes and regulations governing animal research laboratories that exert their authority in the performance of their operations do so without substantive grounds to base compliance. The legislative and administrative history of the implementation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) has evolved into the development of laboratory management strategies that focus on the reduction of the biological cost of stress to the animals and the determination of when subclinical stress (eustress) becomes distress. Animal welfare is based on the tenet that in laboratories conducting animal research in compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (Title 21 USC, Chapter 13,§58), it is the study protocol and the study director that establish procedures and processes that are approved by each Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to ensure the humane care and use of animals in research, teaching, and testing and to ensure compliance with guidelines and regulations. This approval process establishes the justification of eustress in the environment that do not rise to the threshold of distress under the AWA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David V Gauvin
- Department of Neurobehavioral Sciences, Charles River Laboratories - MWN, Mattawan, MI, USA
| | - Margaret McComb
- Department of Neurobehavioral Sciences, Charles River Laboratories - MWN, Mattawan, MI, USA
| | - Ryan Farero
- Department of Neurobehavioral Sciences, Charles River Laboratories - MWN, Mattawan, MI, USA
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2
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Alonso L, Peeva P, Stasko S, Bader M, Alenina N, Winter Y, Rivalan M. Constitutive depletion of brain serotonin differentially affects rats' social and cognitive abilities. iScience 2023; 26:105998. [PMID: 36798444 PMCID: PMC9926123 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105998] [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: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Central serotonin appears a promising transdiagnostic marker of psychiatric disorders and a modulator of some of their key behavioral symptoms. In adult male Tph2 -/- rats, constitutively lacking central serotonin, we tested individual's cognitive, social and non-social abilities and characterized group's social organization under classical and ethological testing conditions. Using unsupervised machine learning, we identified the functions most dependent on serotonin. Although serotonin depletion did not affect cognitive performances in classical testing, in the home-cage it induced compulsive aggression and sexual behavior, hyperactive and hypervigilant stereotyped behavior, reduced self-care and exacerbated corticosterone levels. This profile recalled symptoms of impulse control and anxiety disorders. Serotonin appeared essential for behavioral adaptation to dynamic social environments. Our animal model challenges the essential role of serotonin in decision-making, flexibility, impulsivity, and risk-taking. These findings highlight the importance of studying everyday life functions within the dynamic social living environment to model complexity in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael Bader
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - York Winter
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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3
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Neville V, Mounty J, Benato L, Hunter K, Mendl M, Paul ES. Thinking outside the lab: Can studies of pet rats inform pet and laboratory rat welfare? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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4
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Olvera Cano LI, Villanueva Lopez GC, Mateos ER, Orea AC. Photoacoustic Spectroscopy and Hyperglycemia in Experimental Type 1 Diabetes. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2021; 75:1465-1474. [PMID: 34596452 DOI: 10.1177/00037028211047257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2016. Long-term diabetes complications are associated with hyperglycemia. It is difficult to predict the beginning and evolution of those complications. The goal of the study was to evaluate the relationship between glycemia and blood spectroscopic variables in an experimental model of type 1 diabetes (streptozotocin model). Blood samples were taken weekly (10 weeks) from the tail of male Wistar rats with or without diabetes. Blood optical absorption spectra were obtained by means of photoacoustic spectroscopy. It was possible to estimate the time-course of blood characteristic peak ratios. The area under the curve of those peaks correlated with hyperglycemia. The evolution of the optical absorption at 450 nm, related to cytochrome p450, was obtained by using the phase-resolved method. The area under the curve of p450 correlated also with hyperglycemia. It is concluded that photoacoustic spectroscopy is a reliable technology to detect the effects of hyperglycemia on blood with possible applications in the study of long-term diabetes complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia I Olvera Cano
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Ciudad de México, México
| | | | - Evelyn Romero Mateos
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alfredo Cruz Orea
- Departamento de Física, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
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5
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Non-random associations in group housed rats (Rattus norvegicus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:15349. [PMID: 34321512 PMCID: PMC8319288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94608-4] [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: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological factors, such as predation, have traditionally been used to explain sociability. However, it is increasingly recognised that individuals within a group do not associate randomly, and that these non-random associations can generate fitness advantages. The majority of the empirical evidence on differentiated associations in group-living mammals, however, comes from a limited number of taxa and we still know very little about their occurrence and characteristics in some highly social species, such as rats (Rattus spp.). Here, using network analysis, we quantified association patterns in four groups of male fancy rats. We found that the associations between rats were not randomly distributed and that most individuals had significantly more preferred/avoided associates than expected by random. We also found that these preferences can be stable over time, and that they were not influenced by individuals’ rank position in the dominance hierarchy. Our findings are consistent with work in other mammals, but contrast with the limited evidence available for other rat strains. While further studies in groups with different demographic composition are warranted to confirm our findings, the occurrence of differentiated associations in all male groups of rats have important implications for the management and welfare of captive rat populations.
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Increased Vocalization of Rats in Response to Ultrasonic Playback as a Sign of Hypervigilance Following Fear Conditioning. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11080970. [PMID: 34439589 PMCID: PMC8393681 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11080970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the effects of prior stress on rats' responses to 50-kHz (appetitive) and 22-kHz (aversive) ultrasonic playback. Rats were treated with 0, 1, 6 or 10 shocks (1 s, 1.0 mA each) and were exposed to playbacks the following day. Previous findings were confirmed: (i) rats moved faster during 50-kHz playback and slowed down after 22-kHz playback; (ii) they all approached the speaker, which was more pronounced during and following 50-kHz playback than 22-kHz playback; (iii) 50-kHz playback caused heart rate (HR) increase; 22-kHz playback caused HR decrease; (iv) the rats vocalized more often during and following 50-kHz playback than 22-kHz playback. The previous shock affected the rats such that singly-shocked rats showed lower HR throughout the experiment and a smaller HR response to 50-kHz playback compared to controls and other shocked groups. Interestingly, all pre-shocked rats showed higher locomotor activity during 50-kHz playback and a more significant decrease in activity following 22-kHz playback; they vocalized more often, their ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) were longer and at a higher frequency than those of the control animals. These last two observations could point to hypervigilance, a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in human patients. Increased vocalization may be a valuable measure of hypervigilance used for PTSD modeling.
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Olszyński KH, Polowy R, Małż M, Boguszewski PM, Filipkowski RK. Playback of Alarm and Appetitive Calls Differentially Impacts Vocal, Heart-Rate, and Motor Response in Rats. iScience 2020; 23:101577. [PMID: 33083743 PMCID: PMC7553343 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Our rudimentary knowledge about rat intraspecific vocal system of information exchange is limited by experimental models of communication. Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in appetitive states and 22-kHz ones in aversive states. Both affective states influence heart rate. We propose a behavioral model employing exposure to pre-recorded playbacks in home-cage-like conditions. Fifty-kHz playbacks elicited the most vocalizations (>60 calls per minute, mostly of 50-kHz type), increased heart rate, and locomotor activity. In contrast, 22-kHz playback led to abrupt decrease in heart rate and locomotor activity. Observed effects were more pronounced in singly housed rats compared with the paired housed group; they were stronger when evoked by natural playback than by corresponding artificial tones. Finally, we also observed correlations between the number of vocalizations, heart rate levels, and locomotor activity. The correlations were especially strong in response to 50-kHz playback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof H Olszyński
- Behavior and Metabolism Research Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego St, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Polowy
- Behavior and Metabolism Research Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego St, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Małż
- Behavior and Metabolism Research Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego St, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł M Boguszewski
- Laboratory of Animal Models, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur St, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert K Filipkowski
- Behavior and Metabolism Research Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego St, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Subordination in female rats impedes learning as determined by a judgment bias training protocol. J Vet Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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9
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Alonso L, Peeva P, Ramos-Prats A, Alenina N, Winter Y, Rivalan M. Inter-individual and inter-strain differences in cognitive and social abilities of Dark Agouti and Wistar Han rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 377:112188. [PMID: 31473288 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112188] [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: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Healthy animals displaying extreme behaviours that resemble human psychiatric symptoms are relevant models to study the natural psychobiological processes of maladapted behaviours. Using a Rat Gambling Task, healthy individuals spontaneously making poor decisions (PDMs) were found to co-express a combination of other cognitive and reward-based characteristics similar to symptoms observed in human patients with impulse-control disorders. The main goals of this study were to 1) confirm the existence of PDMs and their unique behavioural phenotypes in Dark Agouti (DA) and Wistar Han (WH) rats, 2) to extend the behavioural profile of the PDMs to probability-based decision-making and social behaviours and 3) to extract key discriminative traits between DA and WH strains, relevant for biomedical research. We have compared cognitive abilities, natural behaviours and physiological responses in DA and WH rats at the strain and at the individual level. Here we found that the naturally occurring PDM's profile was consistent between both rat lines. Then, although the PDM individuals did not take more risks in probability discounting task, they seemed to be of higher social ranks. Finally and despite their similarities in performance, WH and DA lines differed in degree of reward sensitivity, impulsivity, locomotor activity and open space-occupation. The reproducibility and conservation of the complex phenotypes of PDMs and GDMs (good decision makers) in these two genetically different strains support their translational potential. Both strains, present large phenotypic variation in behaviours pertinent for the study of the underlying mechanisms of poor decision making and associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Arnau Ramos-Prats
- Department of Pharmacology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - York Winter
- Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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Kleinhappel TK, Pike TW, Burman OHP. Stress-induced changes in group behaviour. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17200. [PMID: 31748696 PMCID: PMC6868208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53661-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Testing animals in groups can provide valuable data for investigating behavioural stress responses. However, conventional measures typically focus on the behaviour of individual animals or on dyadic interactions. Here, we aimed to determine metrics describing the behaviour of grouping animals that can reveal differences in stress responses. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model, we observed replicated shoals both immediately and 24 hours after exposure to a novel environment, as an assessment of temporal change in response to an acute stressor. We quantified various standard behavioural measures in combination with metrics describing group structure, including different proximity, social, and spatial metrics. Firstly, we showed a high collinearity between most of the analysed metrics, suggesting that they describe similar aspects of the group dynamics. After metric selection, we found that under acute stress shoals had significantly higher shoal densities, a lower variation in nearest neighbour distances and were in closer proximity to the walls compared to the same groups tested 24 hours later, indicating a reduction in acute stress over time. Thus, the use of group metrics could allow for the refinement of behavioural protocols carried out in a range of research areas, by providing sensitive and rich data in a more relevant social context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Oliver H P Burman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
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12
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LaFollette MR, O’Haire ME, Cloutier S, Gaskill BN. A happier rat pack: The impacts of tickling pet store rats on human-animal interactions and rat welfare. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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13
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Templer VL, Wise TB, Dayaw KIT, Dayaw JNT. Nonsocially housed rats (Ratus norvegicus) seek social interactions and social novelty more than socially housed counterparts. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 132:240-252. [PMID: 29683686 DOI: 10.1037/com0000112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sociability is the act or quality of social interaction and can be quantified by determining the number and duration of interactions with conspecifics. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which sustained social contact, as achieved by constant social living conditions, influenced social behavior. Beginning in juvenility, 19 male Long-Evans rats were housed in enriched environments, with half living socially in a large group and half living individually. After several months in these housing conditions, rats were tested on a sociality test and a social novelty preference test. Nonsocially housed rats exhibited more social behavior than socially housed rats. In the sociality test, nonsocially housed rats engaged with an unfamiliar rat more than socially housed rats. Similarly, in the social novelty test, nonsocially housed rats visited a novel stranger more than the now-familiar rat (from the sociality test) as compared with the socially housed rats. It is unlikely that general anxiety factors can account for between-groups social effects, as there were no group differences in behavior on the elevated zero maze and open field test. Furthermore, socially and nonsocially housed rats were matched in spontaneous object exploration and novelty preference in a novel object recognition test, eliminating the possibility that general exploratory behavior or novelty preference accounted for group differences in the sociability tasks. These results suggest that lack of social interaction in nonsocially housed rats may be more powerful for social motivation than the consistent opportunity for social contact afforded by social living conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Kappel S, Hawkins P, Mendl MT. To Group or Not to Group? Good Practice for Housing Male Laboratory Mice. Animals (Basel) 2017; 7:ani7120088. [PMID: 29186765 PMCID: PMC5742782 DOI: 10.3390/ani7120088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wild mice live in territories inhabited by one adult male, several females, and their offspring. This cannot be replicated in the laboratory, so male mice are usually housed in single-sex groups or individually. However, there can be serious animal welfare problems associated with both these approaches, such as lack of social contact when housed individually or aggression between males when kept in groups. Group housing is widely recommended to give male laboratory mice the opportunity to behave as ‘social animals’, but social stress can be detrimental to the welfare of these animals, even without injurious fighting. All of this can also affect the quality of the science, giving rise to ethical concerns. This review discusses whether it is in the best welfare interests of male mice to be housed in groups, or alone. We conclude that it is not possible to give general recommendations for good practice for housing male laboratory mice, as responses to single- and group-housing can be highly context-dependent. The welfare implications of housing protocols should be researched and considered in each case. Abstract It is widely recommended to group-house male laboratory mice because they are ‘social animals’, but male mice do not naturally share territories and aggression can be a serious welfare problem. Even without aggression, not all animals within a group will be in a state of positive welfare. Rather, many male mice may be negatively affected by the stress of repeated social defeat and subordination, raising concerns about welfare and also research validity. However, individual housing may not be an appropriate solution, given the welfare implications associated with no social contact. An essential question is whether it is in the best welfare interests of male mice to be group- or singly housed. This review explores the likely impacts—positive and negative—of both housing conditions, presents results of a survey of current practice and awareness of mouse behavior, and includes recommendations for good practice and future research. We conclude that whether group- or single-housing is better (or less worse) in any situation is highly context-dependent according to several factors including strain, age, social position, life experiences, and housing and husbandry protocols. It is important to recognise this and evaluate what is preferable from animal welfare and ethical perspectives in each case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kappel
- Bristol Veterinary School, Bristol University, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK;
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (P.H.); Tel.: +44-1403-793-231 (P.H.)
| | - Penny Hawkins
- Research Animals Department, RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, West Sussex RH13 9RS, UK
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (P.H.); Tel.: +44-1403-793-231 (P.H.)
| | - Michael T. Mendl
- Bristol Veterinary School, Bristol University, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK;
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Behaviour, stress and welfare of Sprague Dawley rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) on diet board feeding for 24 months. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Abstract
Social network theory provides a useful tool to study complex social relationships in animals. The possibility to look beyond dyadic interactions by considering whole networks of social relationships allows researchers the opportunity to study social groups in more natural ways. As such, network-based analyses provide an informative way to investigate the factors influencing the social environment of group-living animals, and so has direct application to animal welfare. For example, animal groups in captivity are frequently disrupted by separations, reintroductions and/or mixing with unfamiliar individuals and this can lead to social stress and associated aggression. Social network analysis ofanimal groups can help identify the underlying causes of these socially-derived animal welfare concerns. In this review we discuss how this approach can be applied, and how it could be used to identify potential interventions and solutions in the area of animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth A. John
- University of Alberta in 1989. University of Michigan Biological Station and the University of British Columbia, University of Sussex in 1992
| | | | - Anna Wilkinson
- University of York in 2007. University of Lincoln in 2010
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Burman O, Buccarello L, Redaelli V, Cervo L. The effect of two different Individually Ventilated Cage systems on anxiety-related behaviour and welfare in two strains of laboratory mouse. Physiol Behav 2014; 124:92-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Yeates JW. Individualism and Nonindividualism in the Application of Nonhuman Animal Welfare to Policy. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2013; 16:254-71. [DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.768918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Behavior and adrenal activity in a group of zoo golden snub-nosed monkeys, Rhinopithecus roxellana, following social structure change. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-012-5651-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Conte S, Lawlor PG, O'Connell N, Boyle LA. Effect of split marketing on the welfare, performance, and carcass traits of finishing pigs1. J Anim Sci 2012; 90:373-80. [DOI: 10.2527/jas.2010-3453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. Conte
- Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
- Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
| | - P. G. Lawlor
- Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
| | - N. O'Connell
- Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
| | - L. A. Boyle
- Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
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Franks B, Tory Higgins E. Effectiveness in Humans and Other Animals. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394281-4.00006-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Miller AL, Flecknell PA, Leach MC, Roughan JV. A comparison of a manual and an automated behavioural analysis method for assessing post-operative pain in mice. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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The effects of cage enrichment on agonistic behaviour and dominance in male laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus). Res Vet Sci 2011; 90:346-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2010.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2010] [Revised: 05/25/2010] [Accepted: 06/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Ferland CL, Schrader LA. Cage mate separation in pair-housed male rats evokes an acute stress corticosterone response. Neurosci Lett 2010; 489:154-8. [PMID: 21146591 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2010] [Revised: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 12/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Corticosterone (CORT) release from the adrenal glands in response to acutely stressful stimuli is well-characterized, however several non-experimental, environmental stressors can also engender a CORT response. The aim of this study was to investigate an acute activation of the HPA axis in pair-housed animals in response to separation. We observed a rapid significant increase in CORT in the animal remaining in the home cage following cage mate removal, that was not caused by cage opening and transient removal of cage mate. In addition, we examined this response in both control, non-stressed animals and in animals subjected to chronic variable stress (CVS) and found that although basal levels of CORT differed between control and CVS animals, there was no significant difference in the acute CORT levels between the control and CVS animals after separation, indicating that this environmental event is perceived as acutely stressful in both conditions. Furthermore, we examined the time course of CORT activation and found that CORT levels rapidly rise within minutes of separation peaking at 15 min and returning to baseline by 90 min. The results of this study demonstrate that separation can induce an acute stress response in the remaining cage mate measured by increased CORT and should be considered in molecular, behavioral, and electrophysiological studies.
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Cloutier S, Newberry RC. Physiological and behavioural responses of laboratory rats housed at different tier levels and levels of visual contact with conspecifics and humans. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Gelling M, Montes I, Moorhouse TP, Macdonald DW. Captive housing during water vole (Arvicola terrestris) reintroduction: does short-term social stress impact on animal welfare? PLoS One 2010; 5:e9791. [PMID: 20352093 PMCID: PMC2844416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2009] [Accepted: 02/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animals captive bred for reintroduction are often housed under conditions which are not representative of their preferred social structure for at least part of the reintroduction process. Specifically, this is most likely to occur during the final stages of the release programme, whilst being housed during transportation to the release site. The degree of social stress experienced by individuals during this time may negatively impact upon their immunocompetence. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We examined two measure of stress--body weight and Leukocyte Coping Capacity (LCC)--to investigate the effects of group size upon captive-bred water voles destined for release within a reintroduction program. Water voles were housed in laboratory cages containing between one and eight individuals. LCC scores were negatively correlated with group size, suggesting that individuals in larger groups experienced a larger degree of immuno-suppression than did individuals housed in smaller groups or individually. During the course of the study mean body weights increased, in contrast to expectations from a previous study. This was attributed to the individuals sampled being sub-adults and thus growing in length and weight during the course of the investigation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The reintroduction process will inevitably cause some stress to the release cohort. However, for water voles we conclude that the stress experienced may be reduced by decreasing group size within captive colony and/or transportation housing practises. These findings are of significance to other species' reintroductions, in highlighting the need to consider life-history strategies when choosing housing systems for animals being maintained in captivity prior to release to the wild. A reduction in stress experienced at the pre-release stage may improve immunocompetence and thus animal welfare and initial survival post-release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merryl Gelling
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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