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Abidin İ, Keser H, Şahin E, Öztürk H, Başoğlu H, Alver A, Aydin-Abidin S. Effects of housing conditions on stress, depressive like behavior and sensory-motor performances of C57BL/6 mice. Lab Anim Res 2024; 40:6. [PMID: 38369507 PMCID: PMC10874523 DOI: 10.1186/s42826-024-00193-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of housing conditions on animal physiology, behavior or stress are still debated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three different housing systems, individually ventilated cages (IVC), classical small cages with floor surface area of 500 cm2 (CC500) and classical large cages with floor surface area of 800 cm2 (CC800) on body weight, sensory-motor performances, depression-like behavior, plasma corticosterone and brain oxidative stress parameters in C57BL/6 mice. The mice housed in one of the cages from birth to 6 months of age. Hang wire and adhesive removal tests were performed to evaluate somatosensory and motor performances. The extent of depression was determined by the forced swim test. Blood corticosterone levels were measured. In addition, brain malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) levels were analyzed. RESULTS The depression-like behavior of the groups was similar. Although there were no significant differences in hang wire test among groups, CC500 group required longer durations in adhesive removal test. The body weight and plasma corticosterone levels of CC800 group were significantly higher than other groups. The oxidative stress parameters were highest in CC500 cage. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that the least stressful housing condition was IVC cage systems. Interestingly, the number of mice in the classical cages had a significant effect on stress levels and sensory-motor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- İsmail Abidin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Hatice Keser
- Ataturk Vocational School of Health Services, Afyonkarahisar University of Health Sciences, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Elif Şahin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Hilal Öztürk
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Harun Başoğlu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Alver
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Selcen Aydin-Abidin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
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2
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Nikolopoulos D, Manolakou T, Polissidis A, Filia A, Bertsias G, Koutmani Y, Boumpas DT. Microglia activation in the presence of intact blood-brain barrier and disruption of hippocampal neurogenesis via IL-6 and IL-18 mediate early diffuse neuropsychiatric lupus. Ann Rheum Dis 2023; 82:646-657. [PMID: 36898766 PMCID: PMC10176423 DOI: 10.1136/ard-2022-223506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Inflammatory mediators are detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of systemic lupus erythematosus patients with central nervous system involvement (NPSLE), yet the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to neuropsychiatric disease remain elusive. METHODS We performed a comprehensive phenotyping of NZB/W-F1 lupus-prone mice including tests for depression, anxiety and cognition. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, qPCR, cytokine quantification and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability assays were applied in hippocampal tissue obtained in both prenephritic (3-month-old) and nephritic (6-month-old) lupus mice and matched control strains. Healthy adult hippocampal neural stem cells (hiNSCs) were exposed ex vivo to exogenous inflammatory cytokines to assess their effects on proliferation and apoptosis. RESULTS At the prenephritic stage, BBB is intact yet mice exhibit hippocampus-related behavioural deficits recapitulating the human diffuse neuropsychiatric disease. This phenotype is accounted by disrupted hippocampal neurogenesis with hiNSCs exhibiting increased proliferation combined with decreased differentiation and increased apoptosis in combination with microglia activation and increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Among these cytokines, IL-6 and IL-18 directly induce apoptosis of adult hiNSCs ex vivo. During the nephritic stage, BBB becomes disrupted which facilitates immune components of peripheral blood, particularly B-cells, to penetrate into the hippocampus further augmenting inflammation with locally increased levels of IL-6, IL-12, IL-18 and IL-23. Of note, an interferon gene signature was observed only at nephritic-stage. CONCLUSION An intact BBB with microglial activation disrupting the formation of new neurons within the hippocampus represent early events in NPSLE. Disturbances of the BBB and interferon signature are evident later in the course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dionysis Nikolopoulos
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece .,School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theodora Manolakou
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.,School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Anastasia Filia
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George Bertsias
- Laboratory of Autoimmunity-Inflammation, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Greece.,Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology and Allergy Department, Medical School University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | | | - Dimitrios T Boumpas
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece .,School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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3
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Nunamaker EA, Reynolds PS. 'Invisible actors'-How poor methodology reporting compromises mouse models of oncology: A cross-sectional survey. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274738. [PMID: 36264974 PMCID: PMC9584398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The laboratory mouse is a key player in preclinical oncology research. However, emphasis of techniques reporting at the expense of critical animal-related detail compromises research integrity, animal welfare, and, ultimately, the translation potential of mouse-based oncology models. To evaluate current reporting practices, we performed a cross-sectional survey of 400 preclinical oncology studies using mouse solid-tumour models. Articles published in 2020 were selected from 20 journals that specifically endorsed the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) preclinical reporting guidelines. We assessed reporting compliance for 22 items in five domains: ethical oversight assurance, animal signalment, husbandry, welfare, and euthanasia. Data were analysed using hierarchical generalised random-intercept models, clustered on journal. Overall, reporting of animal-related items was poor. Median compliance over all categories was 23%. There was little or no association between extent of reporting compliance and journal or journal impact factor. Age, sex, and source were reported most frequently, but verifiable strain information was reported for <10% of studies. Animal husbandry, housing environment, and welfare items were reported by <5% of studies. Fewer than one in four studies reported analgesia use, humane endpoints, or an identifiable method of euthanasia. Of concern was the poor documentation of ethical oversight information. Fewer than one in four provided verifiable approval information, and almost one in ten reported no information, or information that was demonstrably false. Mice are the "invisible actors" in preclinical oncology research. In spite of widespread endorsement of reporting guidelines, adherence to reporting guidelines on the part of authors is poor and journals fail to enforce guideline reporting standards. In particular, the inadequate reporting of key animal-related items severely restricts the utility and translation potential of mouse models, and results in research waste. Both investigators and journals have the ethical responsibility to ensure animals are not wasted in uninformative research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Nunamaker
- Animal Care Services, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Penny S. Reynolds
- Department of Anesthesiology, Statistics in Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Core, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ablation of the Presynaptic Protein Mover Impairs Learning Performance and Decreases Anxiety Behavior in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911159. [PMID: 36232453 PMCID: PMC9569738 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911159] [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: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The presynaptic protein Mover/TPRGL/SVAP30 is absent in Drosophila and C. elegans and differentially expressed in synapses in the rodent brain, suggesting that it confers specific functions to subtypes of presynaptic terminals. In order to investigate how the absence of this protein affects behavior and learning, Mover knockout mice (KO) were subjected to a series of established learning tests. To determine possible behavioral and cognitive alterations, male and female 8-week-old KO and C57Bl/6J wildtype (WT) control mice were tested in a battery of memory and anxiety tests. Testing included the cross maze, novel object recognition test (NOR), the Morris water maze (MWM), the elevated plus maze (EPM), and the open field test (OF). Mover KO mice showed impaired recognition memory in the NOR test, and decreased anxiety behavior in the OF and the EPM. Mover KO did not lead to changes in working memory in the cross maze or spatial reference memory in the MWM. However, a detailed analysis of the swimming strategies demonstrated allocentric-specific memory deficits in male KO mice. Our data indicate that Mover appears to control synaptic properties associated with specific forms of memory formation and behavior, suggesting that it has a modulatory role in synaptic transmission.
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Harry GJ, McBride S, Witchey SK, Mhaouty-Kodja S, Trembleau A, Bridge M, Bencsik A. Roadbumps at the Crossroads of Integrating Behavioral and In Vitro Approaches for Neurotoxicity Assessment. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:812863. [PMID: 35295216 PMCID: PMC8915899 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.812863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
With the appreciation that behavior represents the integration and complexity of the nervous system, neurobehavioral phenotyping and assessment has seen a renaissance over the last couple of decades, resulting in a robust database on rodent performance within various testing paradigms, possible associations with human disorders, and therapeutic interventions. The interchange of data across behavior and other test modalities and multiple model systems has advanced our understanding of fundamental biology and mechanisms associated with normal functions and alterations in the nervous system. While there is a demonstrated value and power of neurobehavioral assessments for examining alterations due to genetic manipulations, maternal factors, early development environment, the applied use of behavior to assess environmental neurotoxicity continues to come under question as to whether behavior represents a sensitive endpoint for assessment. Why is rodent behavior a sensitive tool to the neuroscientist and yet, not when used in pre-clinical or chemical neurotoxicity studies? Applying new paradigms and evidence on the biological basis of behavior to neurobehavioral testing requires expertise and refinement of how such experiments are conducted to minimize variability and maximize information. This review presents relevant issues of methods used to conduct such test, sources of variability, experimental design, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. It presents beneficial and critical limitations as they translate to the in vivo environment and considers the need to integrate across disciplines for the best value. It proposes that a refinement of behavioral assessments and understanding of subtle pronounced differences will facilitate the integration of data obtained across multiple approaches and to address issues of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Jean Harry
- Neurotoxicology Group, Molecular Toxicology Branch, Division National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: G. Jean Harry,
| | - Sandra McBride
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Shannah K. Witchey
- Division National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sakina Mhaouty-Kodja
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neuroscience Paris Seine – Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Alain Trembleau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR8246, Inserm U1130, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Neuroscience Paris Seine (NPS), Paris, France
| | - Matthew Bridge
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Anna Bencsik
- Anses Laboratoire de Lyon, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Université de Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Guerra S, Chung R, Yerbury J, Karl T. Behavioural effects of cage systems on the G93A Superoxide Dismutase 1 transgenic mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12735. [PMID: 33871173 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors inherent to animal facilities can impact on the neuro-behavioural phenotype of laboratory mice and genetic mouse models for human diseases. Many facilities have upgraded from traditional 'open filter top' cages (FT) to individually ventilated cage (IVC) systems, which have been shown to modify various behavioural responses of laboratory mice. Importantly, the impact of IVC housing on the G93A superoxide dismutase 1 mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is currently unknown. Male and female wild type-like (WT) and heterozygous SOD1G93A mice were group-housed in FT or IVC systems from PND 30 ± 5 onwards. Body weight and motor function were assessed weekly from 15 weeks onward. Mice were also tested for cognitive abilities (i.e., fear conditioning and social recognition memory) and sensorimotor gating (i.e., prepulse inhibition: PPI). SOD1G93A mice lost body weight, and their motor function degenerated over time compared with control littermates. Motor impairments developed faster when SOD1G93A females were housed in IVCs. Context and cue freezing were increased in SOD1G93A females compared with controls, whereas all SOD1G93A mice exhibited lower acoustic startle and PPI than WT mice. IVC housing led to an increase in cue freezing in males and reduced the severity of PPI deficits in SOD1G93A females. Overall, IVC housing impacted moderately on the SOD1G93A phenotype but central behavioural deficits were still evident across housing conditions. Nonetheless, our findings indicate the importance of assessing the effect of cage system in genetic mouse models as these systems can modulate the magnitude and onset of genotypic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Guerra
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Centre for MND Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justin Yerbury
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
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7
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Myospryn deficiency leads to impaired cardiac structure and function and schizophrenia-associated symptoms. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 385:675-696. [PMID: 34037836 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03447-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The desmin-associated protein myospryn, encoded by the cardiomyopathy-associated gene 5 (CMYA5), is a TRIM-like protein associated to the BLOC-1 (Biogenesis of Lysosomes Related Organelles Complex 1) protein dysbindin. Human myospryn mutations are linked to both cardiomyopathy and schizophrenia; however, there is no evidence of a direct causative link of myospryn to these diseases. Therefore, we sought to unveil the role of myospryn in heart and brain. We have genetically inactivated the myospryn gene by homologous recombination and demonstrated that myospryn null hearts have dilated phenotype and compromised cardiac function. Ultrastructural analyses revealed that the sarcomere organization is not obviously affected; however, intercalated disk (ID) integrity is impaired, along with mislocalization of ID and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) protein components. Importantly, cardiac and skeletal muscles of myospryn null mice have severe mitochondrial defects with abnormal internal vacuoles and extensive cristolysis. In addition, swollen SR and T-tubules often accompany the mitochondrial defects, strongly implying a potential link of myospryn together with desmin to SR- mitochondrial physical and functional cross-talk. Furthermore, given the reported link of human myospryn mutations to schizophrenia, we performed behavioral studies, which demonstrated that myospryn-deficient male mice display disrupted startle reactivity and prepulse inhibition, asocial behavior, decreased exploratory behavior, and anhedonia. Brain neurochemical and ultrastructural analyses revealed prefrontal-striatal monoaminergic neurotransmitter defects and ultrastructural degenerative aberrations in cerebellar cytoarchitecture, respectively, in myospryn-deficient mice. In conclusion, myospryn is essential for both cardiac and brain structure and function and its deficiency leads to cardiomyopathy and schizophrenia-associated symptoms.
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8
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Fei XY, Liu S, Sun YH, Cheng L. Social isolation improves the performance of rodents in a novel cognitive flexibility task. Front Zool 2019; 16:43. [PMID: 31788010 PMCID: PMC6858689 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0339-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social isolation, i.e., the deprivation of social contact, is a highly stressful circumstance that affects behavioral and functional brain development in social animals. Cognitive flexibility, one of the essential executive brain function that facilitates survival problem solving, was reported to be impaired after social isolation rearing. However, most of the previous studies have focused on the constrained aspect of flexibility and little is known about the unconstrained aspect. In the present study, the unconstrained cognitive flexibility of Kunming mice (Mus musculus, Km) reared in isolation was examined by a novel digging task. The exploratory behavior of the mice was also tested utilizing the hole-board and elevated plus maze tests to explain the differences in cognitive flexibility between the mice reared socially and in isolation. Results The results demonstrated that the isolated mice had a higher success rate in solving the novel digging problem and showed a higher rate of exploratory behavior compared with the controls. Linear regression analysis revealed that the time it took the mice to solve the digging problem was negatively associated with exploratory behavior. Conclusions The data suggest that social isolation rearing improves unconstrained cognitive flexibility in mice, which is probably related to an increase in their exploratory behavior. Such effects may reflect the behavioral and cognitive evolutionary adaptations of rodents to survive under complex and stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yuan Fei
- 1School of Psychology & Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsycology and Behavior (CCNU) of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079 China
| | - Sha Liu
- 1School of Psychology & Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsycology and Behavior (CCNU) of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079 China
| | - Yan-Hong Sun
- 2Fisheries Research Institute, Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430207 China
| | - Liang Cheng
- 1School of Psychology & Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsycology and Behavior (CCNU) of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079 China
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9
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Åhlgren J, Voikar V. Housing mice in the individually ventilated or open cages-Does it matter for behavioral phenotype? GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 18:e12564. [PMID: 30848040 PMCID: PMC6849734 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Individually ventilated caging (IVC) systems for rodents are increasingly common in laboratory animal facilities. However, the impact of such substantial change in housing conditions on animal physiology and behavior is still debated. Most importantly, there arise the questions regarding reproducibility and comparison of previous or new phenotypes between the IVC and open cages. The present study was set up for detailed and systematic comparison of behavioral phenotypes in male and female mice of three widely used inbred strains (C57BL/6JRccHsd, DBA/2JRccHsd, 129S2/SvHSd) after being kept in two housing environments (IVC and open cages) for 6 weeks (since 4 weeks of age) before behavioral testing. The tests addressed exploratory, anxiety-like and stress-related behavior (light-dark box, open field, forced swim test, stress-induced hyperthermia), social approach and species-specific behavior (nest building, marble burying). In all tests, large and expected strain differences were found. Somewhat surprisingly, the most striking effect of environment was found for basal body temperature and weight loss after one night of single housing in respective cages. In addition, the performance in light-dark box and open field was affected by environment. Several parameters in different tests showed significant interaction between housing and genetic background. In summary, the IVC housing did not invalidate the well-known differences between the mouse strains which have been established by previous studies. However, within the strains the results can be influenced by sex and housing system depending on the behavioral tasks applied. The bottom-line is that the environmental conditions should be described explicitly in all publications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Åhlgren
- Laboratory Animal Center, Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Laboratory Animal Center, Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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10
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Kentner AC, Bilbo SD, Brown AS, Hsiao EY, McAllister AK, Meyer U, Pearce BD, Pletnikov MV, Yolken RH, Bauman MD. Maternal immune activation: reporting guidelines to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and transparency of the model. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:245-258. [PMID: 30188509 PMCID: PMC6300528 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0185-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The 2017 American College of Neuropychopharmacology (ACNP) conference hosted a Study Group on 4 December 2017, Establishing best practice guidelines to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and transparency of the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. The goals of this session were to (a) evaluate the current literature and establish a consensus on best practices to be implemented in MIA studies, (b) identify remaining research gaps warranting additional data collection and lend to the development of evidence-based best practice design, and (c) inform the MIA research community of these findings. During this session, there was a detailed discussion on the importance of validating immunogen doses and standardizing the general design (e.g., species, immunogenic compound used, housing) of our MIA models both within and across laboratories. The consensus of the study group was that data does not currently exist to support specific evidence-based model selection or methodological recommendations due to lack of consistency in reporting, and that this issue extends to other inflammatory models of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. This launched a call to establish a reporting checklist focusing on validation, implementation, and transparency modeled on the ARRIVE Guidelines and CONSORT (scientific reporting guidelines for animal and clinical research, respectively). Here we provide a summary of the discussions in addition to a suggested checklist of reporting guidelines needed to improve the rigor and reproducibility of this valuable translational model, which can be adapted and applied to other animal models as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C. Kentner
- 0000 0001 0021 3995grid.416498.6School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA USA
| | - Staci D. Bilbo
- 000000041936754Xgrid.38142.3cDepartment of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,0000 0004 0386 9924grid.32224.35Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA USA
| | - Alan S. Brown
- 0000000419368729grid.21729.3fDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY USA ,0000 0000 8499 1112grid.413734.6New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA
| | - Elaine Y. Hsiao
- 0000 0000 9632 6718grid.19006.3eDepartment of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - A. Kimberley McAllister
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bCenter for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Urs Meyer
- 0000 0004 1937 0650grid.7400.3Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland ,0000 0004 1937 0650grid.7400.3Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brad D. Pearce
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, and Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Mikhail V. Pletnikov
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Robert H. Yolken
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Pediatrics, Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Melissa D. Bauman
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bThe UC Davis MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, USA
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11
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Animals, anxiety, and anxiety disorders: How to measure anxiety in rodents and why. Behav Brain Res 2018; 352:81-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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12
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Sundberg JP, Schofield PN. Living inside the box: environmental effects on mouse models of human disease. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.035360. [PMID: 30194139 PMCID: PMC6215423 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.035360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of the laboratory environment on animal models of human disease, particularly the mouse, has recently come under intense scrutiny regarding both the reproducibility of such environments and their ability to accurately recapitulate elements of human environmental conditions. One common objection to the use of mice in highly controlled facilities is that humans live in much more diverse and stressful environments, which affects the expression and characteristics of disease phenotypes. In this Special Article, we review some of the known effects of the laboratory environment on mouse phenotypes and compare them with environmental effects on humans that modify phenotypes or, in some cases, have driven genetic adaptation. We conclude that the 'boxes' inhabited by mice and humans have much in common, but that, when attempting to tease out the effects of environment on phenotype, a controlled and, importantly, well-characterized environment is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul N Schofield
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1500, USA.,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
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Mueller FS, Polesel M, Richetto J, Meyer U, Weber-Stadlbauer U. Mouse models of maternal immune activation: Mind your caging system! Brain Behav Immun 2018; 73:643-660. [PMID: 30026057 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent models of maternal immune activation (MIA) are increasingly used as experimental tools to study neuronal and behavioral dysfunctions in relation to infection-mediated neurodevelopmental disorders. One of the most widely used MIA models is based on gestational administration of poly(I:C) (= polyriboinosinic-polyribocytdilic acid), a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA that induces a cytokine-associated viral-like acute phase response. The effects of poly(I:C)-induced MIA on phenotypic changes in the offspring are known to be influenced by various factors, including the precise prenatal timing, genetic background, and immune stimulus intensity. Thus far, however, it has been largely ignored whether differences in the basic type of laboratory housing can similarly affect the outcomes of MIA models. Here, we examined this possibility by comparing the poly(I:C)-based MIA model in two housing systems that are commonly used in preclinical mouse research, namely the open cage (OC) and individually ventilated cage (IVC) systems. Pregnant C57BL6/N mice were kept in OCs or IVCs and treated with a low (1 mg/kg, i.v.) or high (5 mg/kg, i.v.) dose of poly(I:C), or with control vehicle solution. MIA or control treatment was induced on gestation day (GD) 9 or 12, and the resulting offspring were raised and maintained in OCs or IVCs until adulthood for behavioral testing. An additional cohort of dams was used to assess the influence of the different caging systems on poly(I:C)-induced cytokine and stress responses in the maternal plasma. Maternal poly(I:C) administration on GD9 caused a dose-dependent increase in spontaneous abortion in IVCs but not in OCs, whereas MIA in IVC systems during a later gestational time-point (GD12) did not affect pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, the precise type of caging system markedly affected maternal cytokines and chemokines at basal states and in response to poly(I:C) and further influenced the maternal levels of the stress hormone, corticosterone. The efficacy of MIA to induce deficits in working memory, social interaction, and sensorimotor gating in the adult offspring was influenced by the different housing conditions, the dosing of poly(I:C), and the precise prenatal timing. Taken together, the present study identifies the basic type of caging system as a novel factor that can confound the outcomes of MIA in mice. Our findings thus urge the need to consider and report the kind of laboratory housing systems used to implement MIA models. Providing this information seems pivotal to yield reproducible results in these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia S Mueller
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich - Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich - Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich - Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich - Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Brehm AM, Mortelliti A. Mind the trap: large-scale field experiment shows that trappability is not a proxy for personality. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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