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Schreiber T, Koopmann I, Brandstetter J, Talbot SR, Goldstein L, Hoffmann L, Schildt A, Joksch M, Krause B, Jaster R, Palme R, Zechner D, Vollmar B, Kumstel S. Evidence-Based Severity Assessment of Animal Models for Pancreatic Cancer. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1494. [PMID: 39062067 PMCID: PMC11275077 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071494] [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: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal models are crucial to preclinical oncological research and drug development. Animal experiments must be performed in accordance with the 3R principles of replacement and reduction, if possible, and refinement where these procedures remain crucial. In addition, European Union legislations demand a continuous refinement approach, as well as pro- and retrospective severity assessment. In this study, an objective databased severity assessment was performed in murine models for pancreatic cancer induced by orthotopic, subcutaneous, or intravenous injection of Panc02 cells. Parameters such as body weight change, distress score, perianal temperature, mouse grimace scale, burrowing, nesting behavior, and the concentration of corticosterone in plasma and its metabolites in feces were monitored during tumor progression. The most important parameters were combined into a score and mapped against a reference data set by the Relative Severity Assessment procedure (RELSA) to obtain the maximum achieved severity for each animal (RELSAmax). This scoring revealed a significantly higher RELSAmax for the orthotopic model than for the subcutaneous and intravenous models. However, compared to animal models such as pancreatitis and bile duct ligation, the pancreatic cancer models are shown to be less severe. Data-based animal welfare assessment proved to be a valuable tool for comparing the severity of differently induced cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Schreiber
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Ingo Koopmann
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Jakob Brandstetter
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Steven R. Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Preclinical Data Science, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Lea Goldstein
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Lisa Hoffmann
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Anna Schildt
- Core Facility Multimodal Small Animal Imaging, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany;
| | - Markus Joksch
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (M.J.); (B.K.)
| | - Bernd Krause
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (M.J.); (B.K.)
| | - Robert Jaster
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine II, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany;
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Dietmar Zechner
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Brigitte Vollmar
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Simone Kumstel
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
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2
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Reiber M, von Schumann L, Buchecker V, Boldt L, Gass P, Bleich A, Talbot SR, Potschka H. Evidence-based comparative severity assessment in young and adult mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285429. [PMID: 37862304 PMCID: PMC10588901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In animal-based research, welfare assessments are essential for ethical and legal reasons. However, accurate assessment of suffering in laboratory animals is often complicated by the multidimensional character of distress and pain and the associated affective states. The present study aimed to design and validate multidimensional composite measure schemes comprising behavioral and biochemical parameters based on a bioinformatics approach. Published data sets from induced and genetic mouse models of neurological and psychiatric disorders were subjected to a bioinformatics workflow for cross-model analyses. ROC analyses pointed to a model-specific discriminatory power of selected behavioral parameters. Principal component analyses confirmed that the composite measure schemes developed for adult or young mice provided relevant information with the level of group separation reflecting the expected severity levels. Finally, the validity of the composite measure schemes developed for adult and young mice was further confirmed by k-means-based clustering as a basis for severity classification. The classification systems allowed the allocation of individual animals to different severity levels and a direct comparison of animal groups and other models. In conclusion, the bioinformatics approach confirmed the suitability of the composite measure schemes for evidence-based comparative severity assessment in adult and young mice. In particular, we demonstrated that the composite measure schemes provide a basis for an individualized severity classification in control and experimental groups allowing direct comparison of severity levels across different induced or genetic models. An online tool (R package) is provided, allowing the application of the bioinformatics approach to severity assessment data sets regardless of the parameters or models used. This tool can also be used to validate refinement measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Reiber
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Lara von Schumann
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Buchecker
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Lena Boldt
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andre Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steven Roger Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heidrun Potschka
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
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3
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Staffeld A, Gill S, Zimmermann A, Böge N, Schuster K, Lang S, Kipp M, Palme R, Frintrop L. Establishment of a Murine Chronic Anorexia Nervosa Model. Cells 2023; 12:1710. [PMID: 37443744 PMCID: PMC10340390 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with hyperactivity, amenorrhea, and brain atrophy. The underlying pathophysiology is mostly unknown, and new targets for therapeutic interventions are needed. This study aimed to systematically establish a murine AN model with the parameter extent of starvation, animal age, and length of starvation for functional studies. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) model combines food restriction with running wheel access. Early adolescent and adolescent mice received 40% of their baseline food intake until a 20% or 25% weight reduction was reached (acute starvation). To mimic chronic starvation, body weight loss was maintained for another two weeks. Running activity was examined using wheel sensors, while amenorrhea was investigated by analysis of vaginal smears. Brain sections were used to analyze cerebral cortex volumes. Acute starvation did not lead to either AN-related symptoms, whereas chronic starvation led to hyperactivity and amenorrhea except in the adolescent cohort with 20% weight reduction. Only ABA mice with 25% weight reduction revealed a cortex volume reduction. The optimal parameters to mirror AN-related symptoms included a 25% weight reduction, early adolescent or adolescent mice, and chronic starvation. The ABA model enables functional analysis of the impact of chronic AN on the underlying hormonal, behavioral, and brain pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Staffeld
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Sadaf Gill
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Annelie Zimmermann
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Natalie Böge
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Katharina Schuster
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Stephan Lang
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Markus Kipp
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Linda Frintrop
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
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Talbot SR, Kumstel S, Schulz B, Tang G, Abdelrahman A, Seume N, Wendt EHU, Eichberg J, Häger C, Bleich A, Vollmar B, Zechner D. Robustness of a multivariate composite score when evaluating distress of animal models for gastrointestinal diseases. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2605. [PMID: 36788346 PMCID: PMC9929045 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29623-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The fundament of an evidence-based severity assessment in laboratory animal science is reliable distress parameters. Many readouts are used to evaluate and determine animal distress and the severity of experimental procedures. Therefore, we analyzed four distinct parameters like the body weight, burrowing behavior, nesting, and distress score in the four gastrointestinal animal models (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), pancreatitis, CCl4 intoxication, and bile duct ligation (BDL)). Further, we determined the parameters' robustness in various experimental subgroups due to slight variations like drug treatment or telemeter implantations. We used non-parametric bootstrapping to get robust estimates and 95% confidence intervals for the experimental groups. It was found that the performance of the readout parameters is model-dependent and that the distress score is prone to experimental variation. On the other hand, we also found that burrowing and nesting can be more robust than, e.g., the body weight when evaluating PDA. However, the body weight still was highly robust in BDL, pancreatitis, and CCl4 intoxication. To address the complex nature of the multi-dimensional severity space, we used the Relative Severity Assessment (RELSA) procedure to combine multiple distress parameters into a score and mapped the subgroups and models against a defined reference set obtained by telemeter implantation. This approach allowed us to compare the severity of individual animals in the experimental subgroups using the maximum achieved severity (RELSAmax). With this, the following order of severity was found for the animal models: CCl4 < PDA ≈ Pancreatitis < BDL. Furthermore, the robustness of the RELSA procedure and outcome was externally validated with a reference set from another laboratory also obtained from telemeter implantation. Since the RELSA procedure reflects the multi-dimensional severity information and is highly robust in estimating the quantitative severity within and between models, it can be deemed a valuable tool for laboratory animal severity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Talbot
- Hannover Medical School, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Simone Kumstel
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schulz
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Guanglin Tang
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Ahmed Abdelrahman
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nico Seume
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Edgar H U Wendt
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Christine Häger
- Hannover Medical School, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - André Bleich
- Hannover Medical School, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Brigitte Vollmar
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Dietmar Zechner
- Rostock University Medical Center, Rudolf-Zenker-Institute for Experimental Surgery, Schillingallee 69a, 18057, Rostock, Germany
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Talbot SR, Struve B, Wassermann L, Heider M, Weegh N, Knape T, Hofmann MCJ, von Knethen A, Jirkof P, Häger C, Bleich A. RELSA-A multidimensional procedure for the comparative assessment of well-being and the quantitative determination of severity in experimental procedures. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:937711. [PMID: 36439346 PMCID: PMC9691969 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.937711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Good science in translational research requires good animal welfare according to the principles of 3Rs. In many countries, determining animal welfare is a mandatory legal requirement, implying a categorization of animal suffering, traditionally dominated by subjective scorings. However, how such methods can be objectified and refined to compare impairments between animals, subgroups, and animal models remained unclear. Therefore, we developed the RELative Severity Assessment (RELSA) procedure to establish an evidence-based method based on quantitative outcome measures such as body weight, burrowing behavior, heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature, and activity to obtain a relative metric for severity comparisons. The RELSA procedure provided the necessary framework to get severity gradings in TM-implanted mice, yielding four distinct RELSA thresholds L1<0.27, L2<0.59, L3<0.79, and L4<3.45. We show further that severity patterns in the contributing variables are time and model-specific and use this information to obtain contextualized between animal-model and subgroup comparisons with the severity of sepsis > surgery > restraint stress > colitis. The bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals reliably show that RELSA estimates are conditionally invariant against missing information but precise in ranking the quantitative severity information to the moderate context of the transmitter-implantation model. In conclusion, we propose the RELSA as a validated tool for an objective, computational approach to comparative and quantitative severity assessment and grading. The RELSA procedure will fundamentally improve animal welfare, data quality, and reproducibility. It is also the first step toward translational risk assessment in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R. Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Birgitta Struve
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Laura Wassermann
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Miriam Heider
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Nora Weegh
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Tilo Knape
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Martine C. J. Hofmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas von Knethen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain & Therapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Office for Animal Welfare and 3Rs, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Häger
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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Aulehner K, Leenaars C, Buchecker V, Stirling H, Schönhoff K, King H, Häger C, Koska I, Jirkof P, Bleich A, Bankstahl M, Potschka H. Grimace scale, burrowing, and nest building for the assessment of post-surgical pain in mice and rats-A systematic review. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:930005. [PMID: 36277074 PMCID: PMC9583882 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.930005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies suggested an informative value of behavioral and grimace scale parameters for the detection of pain. However, the robustness and reliability of the parameters as well as the current extent of implementation are still largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to systematically analyze the current evidence-base of grimace scale, burrowing, and nest building for the assessment of post-surgical pain in mice and rats. The following platforms were searched for relevant articles: PubMed, Embase via Ovid, and Web of Science. Only full peer-reviewed studies that describe the grimace scale, burrowing, and/or nest building as pain parameters in the post-surgical phase in mice and/or rats were included. Information about the study design, animal characteristics, intervention characteristics, and outcome measures was extracted from identified publications. In total, 74 papers were included in this review. The majority of studies have been conducted in young adult C57BL/6J mice and Sprague Dawley and Wistar rats. While there is an apparent lack of information about young animals, some studies that analyzed the grimace scale in aged rats were identified. The majority of studies focused on laparotomy-associated pain. Only limited information is available about other types of surgical interventions. While an impact of surgery and an influence of analgesia were rather consistently reported in studies focusing on grimace scales, the number of studies that assessed respective effects was rather low for nest building and burrowing. Moreover, controversial findings were evident for the impact of analgesics on post-surgical nest building activity. Regarding analgesia, a monotherapeutic approach was identified in the vast majority of studies with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs and opioids being most commonly used. In conclusion, most evidence exists for grimace scales, which were more frequently used to assess post-surgical pain in rodents than the other behavioral parameters. However, our findings also point to relevant knowledge gaps concerning the post-surgical application in different strains, age levels, and following different surgical procedures. Future efforts are also necessary to directly compare the sensitivity and robustness of different readout parameters applied for the assessment of nest building and burrowing activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Aulehner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Cathalijn Leenaars
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Verena Buchecker
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Helen Stirling
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Schönhoff
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Hannah King
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Häger
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Ines Koska
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Office for Animal Welfare and 3Rs, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Marion Bankstahl
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Heidrun Potschka
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany,*Correspondence: Heidrun Potschka
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Domínguez-Oliva A, Mota-Rojas D, Hernández-Avalos I, Mora-Medina P, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Casas-Alvarado A, Whittaker AL. The neurobiology of pain and facial movements in rodents: Clinical applications and current research. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1016720. [PMID: 36246319 PMCID: PMC9556725 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1016720] [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: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most controversial aspects of the use of animals in science is the production of pain. Pain is a central ethical concern. The activation of neural pathways involved in the pain response has physiological, endocrine, and behavioral consequences, that can affect both the health and welfare of the animals, as well as the validity of research. The strategy to prevent these consequences requires understanding of the nociception process, pain itself, and how assessment can be performed using validated, non-invasive methods. The study of facial expressions related to pain has undergone considerable study with the finding that certain movements of the facial muscles (called facial action units) are associated with the presence and intensity of pain. This review, focused on rodents, discusses the neurobiology of facial expressions, clinical applications, and current research designed to better understand pain and the nociceptive pathway as a strategy for implementing refinement in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Master in Science Program “Maestría en Ciencias Agropecuarias”, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assesment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Daniel Mota-Rojas
| | - Ismael Hernández-Avalos
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology-Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology-Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assesment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alexandra L. Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
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8
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Durst M, Graf TR, Graf R, Kron M, Arras M, Zechner D, Palme R, Talbot SR, Jirkof P. Analysis of Pain and Analgesia Protocols in Acute Cerulein-Induced Pancreatitis in Male C57BL/6 Mice. Front Physiol 2021; 12:744638. [PMID: 34880773 PMCID: PMC8645955 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.744638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatitis is known to be painful in humans and companion animals. However, the extent of pain in experimental mouse models of acute pancreatitis is unknown. Consequently, the severity classification of acute pancreatitis in mice is controversially discussed and standardized pain management is missing. In this study, we investigated acute Cerulein-induced pancreatitis with pain-specific and well-being orientated parameters to detect its impact on mice. Male C57BL/6J male mice were injected with Cerulein; animals that received saline injections served as control group. The animals were observed for weight change and water intake. To assess pain, behaviors like stretch-and-press and reduced rearing, the Mouse Grimace Scale, and von Frey hypersensitivity were assessed. Fecal corticosterone metabolites and burrowing behavior were assessed to detect changes in the animal’s well-being. Pancreatitis severity was evaluated with amylase and lipase in the blood and pancreas histology. To investigate whether different analgesics can alleviate signs of pain, and if they influence pancreas inflammation, animals received Buprenorphine, Paracetamol in combination with Tramadol, or Metamizole in the drinking water. The calculated intake of these analgesics via drinking reached values stated to be efficient for pain alleviation. While pancreatitis did not seem to be painful, we detected acute pain from Cerulein injections that could not be alleviated by analgesics. The number of inflammatory cells in the pancreas did not differ with the analgesic administered. In conclusion: (1) Cerulein injections appear to be acutely painful but pain could not be alleviated by the tested analgesics, (2) acute pancreatitis induced by our protocol did not induce obvious signs of pain, (3) analgesic substances had no detectable influence on inflammation. Nevertheless, protocols inducing more severe or even chronic pancreatitis might evoke more pain and analgesic treatment might become imperative. Considering our results, we recommend the use of Buprenorphine via drinking water in these protocols. Further studies to search for efficient analgesics that can alleviate the acute pain induced by Cerulein injections are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattea Durst
- Centre for Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Theresia Reding Graf
- Pancreas Research Laboratory, Department of Visceral Surgery & Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Graf
- Pancreas Research Laboratory, Department of Visceral Surgery & Transplantation, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mareike Kron
- Centre for Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Margarete Arras
- Centre for Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dietmar Zechner
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steven R Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Centre for Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Office for Animal Welfare & 3R, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Wassermann L, Helgers SOA, Riedesel AK, Talbot SR, Bleich A, Schwabe K, Häger C. Monitoring of Heart Rate and Activity Using Telemetry Allows Grading of Experimental Procedures Used in Neuroscientific Rat Models. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:587760. [PMID: 33424534 PMCID: PMC7793729 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.587760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In animal experimentation, welfare and severity assessments of all procedures applied to animals are necessary to meet legal and ethical requirements, as well as public interests. So far, the methods suggested for this purpose are time consuming and personnel intensive. Also, evidence-based biostatistical methods for this purpose are still rare. We here tested whether the classification of heart rate (HR) and activity (Act) data monitored by telemetry in the home cage by unsupervised k-means-based class-labeling and subsequent Support Vector Machine (SVM) analysis allows severity assessment and grading of experimental procedures of different domains, including surgery, injection, behavioral testing, and routine handling for maintenance. Telemetric devices were subcutaneously implanted in young adult male Crl:CD(SD) and BDIX/UImHanZtm rats. After recovery, rats were randomly subjected to different experimental procedures, i.e., handling and cage change as routine maintenance, Rat Grimace Scale, burrowing, and social interaction for welfare assessment, as well as repeated subcutaneous injections. Thereafter, rats were either intracranially implanted with electrodes or injected with tumor cells. Directly after each procedure, HR and Act were monitored by telemetry in the home cage for 4 h. Application of k-means and SVM algorithms on the obtained data sets from baseline (as no stress), cage change (exploratory Act), and intracranial surgery (as burden) measurements computed three classes described as low HR/low Act, high HR/high Act, and high HR/low Act, respectively. Validation of the SVM model by entering data from all procedures confirmed the allocation to the high HR/low Act class (burden) after surgery, which lasted longer after subcutaneous transmitter implantation than after intracranial surgery. The majority of data points from repeated injections, behavioral testing, and maintenance handling were allocated to the low HR/low Act and high HR/high Act classes. Overall, the SVM model based on HR and Act data monitored in home cage after procedures may be useful for the classification and grading of experimental procedures of different domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Wassermann
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | | | | | - Steven R Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schwabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Christine Häger
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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Analysis of Animal Well-Being When Supplementing Drinking Water with Tramadol or Metamizole during Chronic Pancreatitis. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10122306. [PMID: 33291366 PMCID: PMC7762076 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pain management during in vivo experiments can considerably improve the wellbeing of animals. However, often it is not clear, which drugs are best for the animals and how to apply these drugs without causing stress. In this study, we evaluated mice when metamizole or tramadol was provided via drinking water. Neither of these two drugs reduced the amount of consumed water or body weight in healthy mice or influenced their natural behavior, such as nest building or burrowing activity. Both analgesics were then given to mice suffering from chronic pancreatitis. Mice drinking tramadol supplemented water, at some time-points, experienced less loss in body weight and consumed more water than mice drinking metamizole. However, no major differences in other methods measuring wellbeing of mice was observed. In conclusion, both analgesics can be used during chronic pancreatitis, but tramadol seems to be moderately advantageous when compared to metamizole. Abstract Pain management during in vivo experiments is an animal welfare concern and is in many countries also legally required. In this study, we evaluated C57Bl/6J mice when 3 g/L metamizole or 1 g/L tramadol was provided via drinking water, before and during cerulein-induced chronic pancreatitis. Supplementation of drinking water with metamizole or tramadol did not significantly reduce the amount of consumed water. In order to evaluate the wellbeing of mice, a distress score, burrowing activity, nesting behavior, and body weight was assessed. Before induction of pancreatitis, neither tramadol nor metamizole influenced these readout parameters. Chronic pancreatitis caused a significantly increased distress score, decreased burrowing activity and a reduction in body weight. Mice drinking tramadol-supplemented water experienced less loss in body weight and consumed more water than mice drinking metamizole, at a few time-points during chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatic atrophy, a characteristic feature of chronic pancreatitis was not differentially influenced by either analgesic. In conclusion, both analgesics can be used during 33 days of chronic pancreatitis, but tramadol seems to be moderately advantageous when compared to metamizole.
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11
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Social isolation in rats: Effects on animal welfare and molecular markers for neuroplasticity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240439. [PMID: 33108362 PMCID: PMC7591026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress compromises brain development and can contribute to the development of mental illnesses. A common animal model used to study different facets of psychiatric disorders is social isolation from early life on. In rats, this isolation can induce long-lasting alterations in molecular expression and in behavior. Since social isolation models severe psychiatric symptoms, it is to be expected that it affects the overall wellbeing of the animals. As also promoted by the 3Rs principle, though, it is pivotal to decrease the burden of laboratory animals by limiting the number of subjects (reduce, replace) and by improving the animals’ wellbeing (refine). The aim of this study was therefore to test possible refinement strategies such as resocialization and mere adult social isolation. We examined whether the alternatives still triggered the necessary phenotype while minimizing the stress load on the animals. Interestingly, we did not find reduced wellbeing-associated burrowing performance in isolated rats. The hyperactive phenotype seen in socially isolated animals was observed for rats undergoing the adult-only isolation, but resocializing ameliorated the locomotor abnormality. Isolation strongly affected markers of neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex independent of timing: mRNA levels of Arc, Bdnf and the pool of Bdnf transcripts with the 3’ long UTR were reduced in all groups. Bdnf splice variant IV expression was reduced in lifelong-isolated animals. Some of these deficits normalized after resocialization; likewise, exon VI Bdnf mRNA levels were reduced only in animals persistently isolated. Conversely, social deprivation did not affect the expression of Gad67 and Pvb, two GABAergic markers, whereas changes occurred in the expression of dopamine d1 and d2 receptors. As adult isolation was sufficient to trigger the hyperactive phenotype and impaired neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex, it could be a candidate for a refinement strategy for certain research questions. To fully grade the severity of post-weaning social isolation and the alternatives, adult isolation and resocialization, a more profound and multimodal assessment approach is necessary.
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12
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Sensini F, Inta D, Palme R, Brandwein C, Pfeiffer N, Riva MA, Gass P, Mallien AS. The impact of handling technique and handling frequency on laboratory mouse welfare is sex-specific. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17281. [PMID: 33057118 PMCID: PMC7560820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74279-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Handling is a well-known source of stress to laboratory animals and can affect variability of results and even compromise animal welfare. The conventional tail handling in mice has been shown to induce aversion and anxiety-like behaviour. Recent findings demonstrate that the use of alternative handling techniques, e.g. tunnel handling, can mitigate negative handling-induced effects. Here, we show that technique and frequency of handling influence affective behaviour and stress hormone release of subjects in a sex-dependent manner. While frequent tail handling led to a reduction of wellbeing-associated burrowing and increased despair-like behaviour in male mice, females seemed unaffected. Instead, they displayed a stress response to a low handling frequency, which was not detectable in males. This could suggest that in terms of refinement, the impact in handling could differ between the sexes. Independently from this observation, both sexes preferred to interact with the tunnel. Mice generally explored the tunnel more often than the tail-handling hands of the experimenter and showed more positively rated approaches, e.g. touching or climbing, and at the same time, less defensive burrowing, indicating a strong preference for the tunnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Sensini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Dragos Inta
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christiane Brandwein
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Natascha Pfeiffer
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Gass
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anne Stephanie Mallien
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
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13
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MicroRNAs as systemic biomarkers to assess distress in animal models for gastrointestinal diseases. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16931. [PMID: 33037288 PMCID: PMC7547723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73972-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Severity assessment of animal experiments is mainly conducted by using subjective parameters. A widely applicable biomarker to assess animal distress could contribute to an objective severity assessment in different animal models. Here, the distress of three murine animal models for gastrointestinal diseases was assessed by multiple behavioral and physiological parameters. To identify possible new biomarkers for distress 750 highly conserved microRNAs were measured in the blood plasma of mice before and after the induction of pancreatitis. Deregulated miRNA candidates were identified and further quantified in additional animal models for pancreatic cancer and cholestasis. MiR-375 and miR-203 were upregulated during pancreatitis and down regulated during cholestasis, whereas miR-132 was upregulated in all models. Correlation between miR-132 and plasma corticosterone concentrations resulted in the highest correlation coefficient, when compared to the analysis of miR-375, miR-203 and miR-30b. These results indicate that miR-132 might function as a general biomarker for distress, whereas the other miRNAs were altered in a disease specific manner. In conclusion, plasma miRNA profiling may help to better characterize the level of distress in mouse models for gastrointestinal diseases.
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Kumstel S, Wendt EHU, Eichberg J, Talbot SR, Häger C, Zhang X, Abdelrahman A, Schönrogge M, Palme R, Bleich A, Vollmar B, Zechner D. Grading animal distress and side effects of therapies. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1473:20-34. [PMID: 32207155 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In order to combine high-quality research with minimal harm to animals, a prospective severity assessment for animal experiments is legally required in many countries. In addition, an assessment of the evidence-based severity level might allow realistic harm-benefit analysis and the appraisal of refinement methods. However, only a few examples describe the distress of animals by simple, cost-efficient, and noninvasive methods. We, therefore, evaluated the severity of an orthotopic mouse model for pancreatic cancer using C57BL/6J mice when pursuing two different chemotherapies. We assessed fecal corticosterone metabolites, body weight, distress score, and burrowing, as well as nesting activity. Moreover, we established a multifactorial model using multivariate logistic regression to describe animal distress. This multifactorial analysis revealed that metformin + galloflavin treatment caused higher distress than metformin + α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate therapy. Similar results were obtained by using the best cutoff calculated by Youden's J index when using only single parameters, such as burrowing activity or fecal corticosterone metabolite concentration. Thus, the present study revealed that single readout parameters, as well as multivariate analysis, can help to assess the severity of animal experiments and detect side effects of therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Kumstel
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Edgar H U Wendt
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Steven R Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Christine Häger
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Xianbin Zhang
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Ahmed Abdelrahman
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Maria Schönrogge
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Brigitte Vollmar
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Dietmar Zechner
- Rudolf-Zenker Institute of Experimental Surgery, University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
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15
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Narayan EJ, Forsburg ZR, Davis DR, Gabor CR. Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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