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Wikanthi LSS, Forsström J, Ewaldsson B, Palsdottir V, Admyre T. Improved Memory and Lower Stress Levels in Male Mice Co-Housed with Ovariectomized Female Mice. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1503. [PMID: 38791720 PMCID: PMC11117350 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggressiveness, expressed by fighting, is a frequent problem in group-housed laboratory male mice and results in increased stress, injury, and death. One way to prevent fighting is by pairing the male mice with ovariectomized female mice to provide a compatible companion. However, the effect of these housing conditions remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate behavior and stress levels in two different housing conditions, pair-housed with an ovariectomized female and group-housed with other males. Behavioral tests were performed to assess stress and anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, the corticosterone levels in plasma were measured by ELISA. Based on home cage behavior assessment, pair-housed male mice showed no signs of fighting, not even after isolation and regrouping. Our results also showed that the pair-housed males had a better memory and demonstrated less anxiety-like behavior. Subsequently, the pair-housed male mice had a larger reduction in corticosterone levels compared to group-housed males. Overall, pair-housing reduced anxiety-like behavior and stress levels in male mice compared to standard group-housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layung Sekar Sih Wikanthi
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, Clinical Pharmacology&Safety Science, R&D, AstraZeneca, 43183 Gothenburg, Sweden; (L.S.S.W.); (B.E.)
| | - Johan Forsström
- Department of Translational Genomics, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 43183 Gothenburg, Sweden; (J.F.); (V.P.)
| | - Birgit Ewaldsson
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, Clinical Pharmacology&Safety Science, R&D, AstraZeneca, 43183 Gothenburg, Sweden; (L.S.S.W.); (B.E.)
| | - Vilborg Palsdottir
- Department of Translational Genomics, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 43183 Gothenburg, Sweden; (J.F.); (V.P.)
| | - Therése Admyre
- Department of Translational Genomics, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 43183 Gothenburg, Sweden; (J.F.); (V.P.)
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2
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Herat LY, Matthews JR, Hibbs M, Rakoczy EP, Schlaich MP, Matthews VB. SGLT1/2 inhibition improves glycemic control and multi-organ protection in type 1 diabetes. iScience 2023; 26:107260. [PMID: 37520739 PMCID: PMC10384225 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sodium glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) are transport proteins that are expressed throughout the body. Inhibition of SGLTs is a relatively novel therapeutic strategy to improve glycemic control and has been shown to promote cardiorenal benefits. Dual SGLT1/2 inhibitors (SGLT1/2i) such as sotagliflozin target both SGLT1 and 2 proteins. Sotagliflozin or vehicle was administered to diabetic Akimba mice for 8 weeks at a dose of 25 mg/kg/day. Urine glucose levels, water consumption, and body weight were measured weekly. Serum, kidney, pancreas, and brain tissue were harvested under terminal anesthesia. Tissues were assessed using immunohistochemistry or ELISA techniques. Treatment with sotagliflozin promoted multiple metabolic benefits in diabetic Akimba mice resulting in decreased blood glucose and improved polydipsia. Sotagliflozin also prevented mortalities associated with diabetes. Our data suggests that there is the possibility that combined SGLT1/2i may be superior to SGLT2i in controlling glucose homeostasis and provides protection of multiple organs affected by diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshini Yasaswi Herat
- Dobney Hypertension Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences – Royal Perth Hospital Unit / Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rose Matthews
- Dobney Hypertension Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences – Royal Perth Hospital Unit / Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Moira Hibbs
- Research Centre, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
| | | | - Markus Peter Schlaich
- Dobney Hypertension Centre, Medical School – Royal Perth Hospital Unit / Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Department of Cardiology and Department of Nephrology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
| | - Vance Bruce Matthews
- Dobney Hypertension Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences – Royal Perth Hospital Unit / Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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3
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Kouhnavardi S, Cabatic M, Mañas-Padilla MC, Malabanan MA, Smani T, Cicvaric A, Muñoz Aranzalez EA, Koenig X, Urban E, Lubec G, Castilla-Ortega E, Monje FJ. miRNA-132/212 Deficiency Disrupts Selective Corticosterone Modulation of Dorsal vs. Ventral Hippocampal Metaplasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9565. [PMID: 37298523 PMCID: PMC10253409 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is a potent human steroid hormone that plays key roles in the central nervous system, influencing processes such as brain neuronal synaptic plasticity and regulating the expression of emotional and behavioral responses. The relevance of cortisol stands out in the disease, as its dysregulation is associated with debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, chronic stress, anxiety and depression. Among other brain regions, cortisol importantly influences the function of the hippocampus, a structure central for memory and emotional information processing. The mechanisms fine-tuning the different synaptic responses of the hippocampus to steroid hormone signaling remain, however, poorly understood. Using ex vivo electrophysiology and wild type (WT) and miR-132/miR-212 microRNAs knockout (miRNA-132/212-/-) mice, we examined the effects of corticosterone (the rodent's equivalent to cortisol in humans) on the synaptic properties of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. In WT mice, corticosterone predominantly inhibited metaplasticity in the dorsal WT hippocampi, whereas it significantly dysregulated both synaptic transmission and metaplasticity at dorsal and ventral regions of miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Western blotting further revealed significantly augmented levels of endogenous CREB and a significant CREB reduction in response to corticosterone only in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Sirt1 levels were also endogenously enhanced in the miR-132/212-/- hippocampi but unaltered by corticosterone, whereas the levels of phospo-MSK1 were only reduced by corticosterone in WT, not in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. In behavioral studies using the elevated plus maze, miRNA-132/212-/- mice further showed reduced anxiety-like behavior. These observations propose miRNA-132/212 as potential region-selective regulators of the effects of steroid hormones on hippocampal functions, thus likely fine-tuning hippocampus-dependent memory and emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shima Kouhnavardi
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maureen Cabatic
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marife-Astrid Malabanan
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tarik Smani
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Ana Cicvaric
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Edison Alejandro Muñoz Aranzalez
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Xaver Koenig
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Urban
- Department for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 2D 303, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Programme for Proteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Francisco J. Monje
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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4
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Effects of Group Size on Behavior, Reproduction, and mRNA Expression in Brains of Brandt's Voles. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020311. [PMID: 36831854 PMCID: PMC9954483 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020311] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
For social animals, a moderate group size is greatly important to maintain their reproductive success. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanism of group size on behavior and reproduction has rarely been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of group size (1, 2, 4 pairs of adult male and female voles raised per cage) on behavior and reproduction. Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of stress and reproduction response-related genes in male brains was detected. We found that Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) in the large-sized group fight more severely than those in the small-sized group. Meanwhile, male voles were more anxious than females. The average number of embryos and litters per female in the medium-sized group was significantly higher than that of large-sized group. In male voles, stress- or reproduction-response mRNA expressions were more related to final group size or final density due to death caused by fighting. Our results indicated that a moderate group size was beneficial to the reproductive output of Brandt's voles. Our study highlights the combined effects of stress- or reproduction-related gene expression or behavior in regulating the fitness of voles with different group sizes.
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Bratcher NA, Allen CM, McLahan CL, O’Connell DM, Burr HN, Keen JN, Stanislawczyk LM, Burns MA. Identification of Rodent Husbandry Refinement Opportunities through Benchmarking and Collaboration. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2022; 61:624-633. [PMID: 36253074 PMCID: PMC9732775 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-21-000099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Expanding the use of methods that refine, reduce, and replace (3Rs) the use of animals in research is fundamental for both ethical and scientific reasons. The mission of the 3Rs Translational and Predictive Sciences Leadership Group (3Rs TPS LG) of the International Consortium for Innovation and Quality in Pharmaceutical Development (IQ Consortium) is to promote sharing and integration of science and technology to advance the 3Rs in the discovery and development of new medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and health care products for humans and animals. The 3Rs TPS LG is dedicated to identifying opportunities for member companies to share practices, enhance learning, promote discussions, and advance the 3Rs across the industry. One such opportunity was a benchmarking survey, conducted by the Contract Research Organization (CRO) Outreach Working Group, designed to share practices in rodent husbandry for drug safety research and to identify potential opportunities for refinement. IQ member companies and CROs in Asia, North America, and Europe were surveyed. Areas identified for potential alignment included provision of corncob bedding and wire-grid flooring, management of the nest at cage change, approaches to social housing for male mice, evidence-based enrichment strategies, and evaluating the effects of the timing of studies in relation to the animals' circadian rhythm and light-cycle, with consideration for how such extrinsic factors influence animal welfare and scientific outcomes. This manuscript presents the results of the benchmarking survey, including general trends in mouse and rat husbandry practices in toxicology studies, considerations for social housing, enrichment selection, and potential effects of bedding substrate, emphasizing opportunities for collaboration that can help to identify refinements to rodent husbandry practices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Monika A Burns
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), Cambridge, Massachusetts
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6
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Eiger DS, Boldizsar N, Honeycutt CC, Gardner J, Kirchner S, Hicks C, Choi I, Pham U, Zheng K, Warman A, Smith JS, Zhang JY, Rajagopal S. Location bias contributes to functionally selective responses of biased CXCR3 agonists. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5846. [PMID: 36195635 PMCID: PMC9532441 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Some G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligands act as "biased agonists" that preferentially activate specific signaling transducers over others. Although GPCRs are primarily found at the plasma membrane, GPCRs can traffic to and signal from many subcellular compartments. Here, we determine that differential subcellular signaling contributes to the biased signaling generated by three endogenous ligands of the GPCR CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3). The signaling profile of CXCR3 changes as it traffics from the plasma membrane to endosomes in a ligand-specific manner. Endosomal signaling is critical for biased activation of G proteins, β-arrestins, and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In CD8 + T cells, the chemokines promote unique transcriptional responses predicted to regulate inflammatory pathways. In a mouse model of contact hypersensitivity, β-arrestin-biased CXCR3-mediated inflammation is dependent on receptor internalization. Our work demonstrates that differential subcellular signaling is critical to the overall biased response observed at CXCR3, which has important implications for drugs targeting chemokine receptors and other GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julia Gardner
- Trinity College, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Stephen Kirchner
- Department of Dermatology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Chloe Hicks
- Trinity College, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Issac Choi
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Uyen Pham
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Kevin Zheng
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anmol Warman
- Trinity College, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Smith
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Dermatology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Jennifer Y Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Sudarshan Rajagopal
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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7
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Selective Consumption of Fish Oil at End of the Day Increases the Physiological Fatty Acid Compositions of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid in Mice. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27041271. [PMID: 35209062 PMCID: PMC8874613 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Diets with high daily fat consumption are associated with excess weight. However, the effects of fat type and consumption timing on excess weight remain unclear. We investigated the selection of a 30% (w/w) fat diet of soybean oil (SOY), lard (LARD), and fish oil (FISH) on the metabolic parameters of mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the double SOY-box (w-SOY), SOY-box/LARD-box (SOY-vs-LARD), or SOY-box/FISH-box (SOY-vs-FISH) groups and allowed to selectively consume for 8 weeks. The total energy intake was similar for all groups, but the mice selectively chose to consume LARD over SOY and SOY over FISH. Body weight in the SOY-vs-LARD group was significantly higher than that in the w-SOY and SOY-vs-FISH groups. Additionally, minimal but selective consumption of an omega-3 fatty-acid-rich FISH diet at the end of the active period increased the physiological fatty acid compositions of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the SOY-vs-FISH group; their metabolic parameters were also lower than the SOY-vs-LARD group. In conclusion, selectively consuming small amounts of fish oil at the end of the day may prevent excess weight compared with LARD consumption.
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8
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Daniels Gatward LF, Kennard MR, Smith LIF, King AJF. The use of mice in diabetes research: The impact of physiological characteristics, choice of model and husbandry practices. Diabet Med 2021; 38:e14711. [PMID: 34614258 DOI: 10.1111/dme.14711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is characterised by hyperglycaemia, which results from an absolute or relative lack of insulin. Chronic and acute hyperglycaemia are associated with a range of health complications and an overall increased risk of mortality. Mouse models are vital in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease and its complications, as well as for developing new diabetes therapeutics. However, for experimental questions to be suitably tested, it is critical that factors inherent to the animal model are considered, as these can have profound impacts on experimental outcome, data reproducibility and robustness. In this review, we discuss key considerations relating to model choice, physiological characteristics (such as age, sex and genetic background) and husbandry practices and explore the impact of these on common experimental readouts used in preclinical diabetes research.
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9
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Buckinx A, Van Schuerbeek A, Bossuyt J, Allaoui W, Van Den Herrewegen Y, Smolders I, De Bundel D. Exploring Refinement Strategies for Single Housing of Male C57BL/6JRj Mice: Effect of Cage Divider on Stress-Related Behavior and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Axis Activity. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:743959. [PMID: 34776890 PMCID: PMC8581484 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.743959] [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: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Single housing of laboratory mice is a common practice to meet experimental needs, or to avoid intermale aggression. However, single housing is considered to negatively affect animal welfare and may compromise the scientific validity of experiments. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of a cage with a cage divider, which avoids physical contact between mice while maintaining sensory contact, may be a potential refinement strategy for experiments in which group housing of mice is not possible. Methods: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6JRj mice were single housed, pair housed or pair housed with a cage divider for four (experiment 1) or ten (experiment 2) weeks, after which we performed an open field test, Y-maze spontaneous alternation test, elevated plus maze test, an auditory fear conditioning task, and assessed responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Results: Housing conditions did not affect body weight, exploratory activity, anxiety, working memory, fear memory processing or markers for HPA-axis functioning in either experiment 1 or experiment 2. There was an increased distance traveled in mice housed with a cage divider compared to pair housed mice after 4 weeks, and after 10 weeks mice housed with a cage divider made significantly more arm entries in the Y-maze spontaneous alternation test. Conclusion: Taken together, our study did not provide evidence for robust differences in exploratory activity, anxiety, working memory and fear memory processing in male C57BL/6JRj mice that were single housed, pair housed or pair housed with a cage divider.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Buckinx
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andries Van Schuerbeek
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jo Bossuyt
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wissal Allaoui
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yana Van Den Herrewegen
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dimitri De Bundel
- Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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10
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Barabas AJ, Lucas JR, Erasmus MA, Cheng HW, Gaskill BN. Who's the Boss? Assessing Convergent Validity of Aggression Based Dominance Measures in Male Laboratory Mice, Mus Musculus. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:695948. [PMID: 34307534 PMCID: PMC8301077 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.695948] [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: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression among group housed male mice continues to challenge laboratory animal researchers because mitigation strategies are generally applied at the cage level without a good understanding of how it affects the dominance hierarchy. Aggression within a group is typically displayed by the dominant mouse targeting lower ranking subordinates; thus, the strategies for preventing aggression may be more successful if applied specifically to the dominant mouse. Unfortunately, dominance rank is often not assessed because of time intensive observations or tests. Several correlates of dominance status have been identified, but none have been directly compared to home cage behavior in standard housing. This study assessed the convergent validity of three dominance correlates (urinary darcin, tube test score, preputial gland to body length ratio) with wound severity and rankings based on home cage behavior, using factor analysis. Discriminant validity with open field measures was assessed to determine if tube test scores are independent of anxiety. Cages were equally split between SJL and albino C57BL/6 strains and group sizes of 3 or 5 (N = 24). Home cage behavior was observed during the first week, and dominance measures were recorded over the second. After controlling for strain and group size, darcin and preputial ratio had strong loadings on the same factor, which was a significant predictor of home cage ranking showing strong convergent validity. Tube test scores were not significantly impacted by open field data, showing discriminant validity. Social network analysis revealed that despotic power structures were prevalent, aggressors were typically more active and rested away from cage mates, and the amount of social investigation and aggression performed by an individual were highly correlated. Data from this study show that darcin and preputial ratio are representative of home cage aggression and provide further insight into individual behavior patterns in group housed male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Barabas
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Jeffrey R Lucas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Marisa A Erasmus
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Heng-Wei Cheng
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Livestock Behavior Research Unit, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Brianna N Gaskill
- Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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11
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Manduca A, Carbone E, Schiavi S, Cacchione C, Buzzelli V, Campolongo P, Trezza V. The neurochemistry of social reward during development: What have we learned from rodent models? J Neurochem 2021; 157:1408-1435. [PMID: 33569830 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social rewards are fundamental to survival and overall health. Several studies suggest that adequate social stimuli during early life are critical for developing appropriate socioemotional and cognitive skills, whereas adverse social experiences negatively affect the proper development of brain and behavior, by increasing the susceptibility to develop neuropsychiatric conditions. Therefore, a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social interactions, and their rewarding components in particular, is an important challenge of current neuroscience research. In this context, preclinical research has a crucial role: Animal models allow to investigate the neurobiological aspects of social reward in order to shed light on possible neurochemical alterations causing aberrant social reward processing in neuropsychiatric diseases, and they allow to test the validity and safety of innovative therapeutic strategies. Here, we discuss preclinical research that has investigated the rewarding properties of two forms of social interaction that occur in different phases of the lifespan of mammals, that is, mother-infant interaction and social interactions with peers, by focusing on the main neurotransmitter systems mediating their rewarding components. Together, the research performed so far helped to elucidate the mechanisms of social reward and its psychobiological components throughout development, thus increasing our understanding of the neurobiological substrates sustaining social functioning in health conditions and social dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.,Neuroendocrinology, Metabolism and Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilia Carbone
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cacchione
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Buzzelli
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
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12
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Li J, Zain M, Bonin RP. Differential modulation of thermal preference after sensitization by optogenetic or pharmacological activation of heat-sensitive nociceptors. Mol Pain 2021; 17:17448069211000910. [PMID: 33719729 PMCID: PMC7960897 DOI: 10.1177/17448069211000910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Common approaches to studying mechanisms of chronic pain and sensory changes in pre-clinical animal models involve measurement of acute, reflexive withdrawal responses evoked by noxious stimuli. These methods typically do not capture more subtle changes in sensory processing nor report on the consequent behavioral changes. In addition, data collection and analysis protocols are often labour-intensive and require direct investigator interactions, potentially introducing bias. In this study, we develop and characterize a low-cost, easily assembled behavioral assay that yields self-reported temperature preference from mice that is responsive to peripheral sensitization. This system uses a partially automated and freely available analysis pipeline to streamline the data collection process and enable objective analysis. We found that after intraplantar administration of the TrpV1 agonist, capsaicin, mice preferred to stay in cooler temperatures than saline injected mice. We further observed that gabapentin, a non-opioid analgesic commonly prescribed to treat chronic pain, reversed this aversion to higher temperatures. In contrast, optogenetic activation of the central terminals of TrpV1+ primary afferents via in vivo spinal light delivery did not induce a similar change in thermal preference, indicating a possible role for peripheral nociceptor activity in the modulation of temperature preference. We conclude that this easily produced and robust sensory assay provides an alternative approach to investigate the contribution of central and peripheral mechanisms of sensory processing that does not rely on reflexive responses evoked by noxious stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Li
- Department of Human Biology: Neuroscience and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maham Zain
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert P Bonin
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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The Intricate Role of p53 in Adipocyte Differentiation and Function. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122621. [PMID: 33297294 PMCID: PMC7762213 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
For more than three decades, numerous studies have demonstrated the function of p53 in cell cycle, cellular senescence, autophagy, apoptosis, and metabolism. Among diverse functions, the essential role of p53 is to maintain cellular homeostatic response to stress by regulating proliferation and apoptosis. Recently, adipocytes have been studied with increasing intensity owing to the increased prevalence of metabolic diseases posing a serious public health concern and because metabolic dysfunction can directly induce tumorigenesis. The prevalence of metabolic diseases has steadily increased worldwide, and a growing interest in these diseases has led to the focus on the role of p53 in metabolism and adipocyte differentiation with or without metabolic stress. However, our collective understanding of the direct role of p53 in adipocyte differentiation and function remains insufficient. Therefore, this review focuses on the newly discovered roles of p53 in adipocyte differentiation and function.
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14
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Grífols R, Zamora C, Ortega-Saez I, Azkona G. Postweaning Grouping as a Strategy to Reduce Singly Housed Male Mice. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112135. [PMID: 33212955 PMCID: PMC7698342 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary It is important to raise laboratory mice in stable groups. However, sometimes we can find litters with only one male. Unfortunately, age is a factor to consider when grouping a newly weaned mouse with other males due to inter-male aggressiveness. Our results showed that CD1 and SCID Beige newly weaned males can be safely grouped with juvenile and pubescent mice. However, only juvenile C57BL/6J will accept a newly weaned mouse as a new member of the group. This strategy could be helpful to reduce the number of singly housed male mice used for scientific purposes. Abstract Rearing laboratory mice in groups is important since social isolation after weaning induces brain alterations, which entails behavioral abnormalities in adulthood. Age is an important factor when grouping males of different litters due to inter-male aggressiveness. The aim of this study was to determine whether newly weaned mice could safely be grouped with late juvenile or early and late pubescent mice, and whether cage cleaning, the number of the hosting group members and testosterone plasma levels have any influence. Newly weaned C57BL/6J, CD1, and SCID Beige male mice were systematically grouped with same strain late juvenile, early or late pubescent male mice in clean or dirty cages of 1, 2 or 3 hosting members. We also analyzed plasma testosterone levels at different postnatal days. Our result showed that only strain and hosting male’s age influence agonistic behavior toward newly weaned mice. Thus, in order not to house a recently weaned male alone, we would recommend grouping it with late juvenile same strain mice in all studied strains. In the same way, CD1 and SCID Beige pubescent mice will admit a newly weaned mouse in their group. However, we would not recommend grouping newly weaned and pubescent C57BL/6J males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Grífols
- Charles River Laboratories in PRBB, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (R.G.); (C.Z.)
| | - Carolina Zamora
- Charles River Laboratories in PRBB, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (R.G.); (C.Z.)
| | - Iván Ortega-Saez
- Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (PRBB) Animal Facility, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Garikoitz Azkona
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and Their Development, School of Psychology, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Tolosa Hiribidea, 70, 20018 Donostia, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-943-015-437
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15
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Voikar V, Gaburro S. Three Pillars of Automated Home-Cage Phenotyping of Mice: Novel Findings, Refinement, and Reproducibility Based on Literature and Experience. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:575434. [PMID: 33192366 PMCID: PMC7662686 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.575434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders require extensive behavioral phenotyping. Currently, this presents several caveats and the most important are: (i) rodents are nocturnal animals, but mostly tested during the light period; (ii) the conventional behavioral experiments take into consideration only a snapshot of a rich behavioral repertoire; and (iii) environmental factors, as well as experimenter influence, are often underestimated. Consequently, serious concerns have been expressed regarding the reproducibility of research findings on the one hand, and appropriate welfare of the animals (based on the principle of 3Rs-reduce, refine and replace) on the other hand. To address these problems and improve behavioral phenotyping in general, several solutions have been proposed and developed. Undisturbed, 24/7 home-cage monitoring (HCM) is gaining increased attention and popularity as demonstrating the potential to substitute or complement the conventional phenotyping methods by providing valuable data for identifying the behavioral patterns that may have been missed otherwise. In this review, we will briefly describe the different technologies used for HCM systems. Thereafter, based on our experience, we will focus on two systems, IntelliCage (NewBehavior AG and TSE-systems) and Digital Ventilated Cage (DVC®, Tecniplast)-how they have been developed and applied during recent years. Additionally, we will touch upon the importance of the environmental/experimenter artifacts and propose alternative suggestions for performing phenotyping experiments based on the published evidence. We will discuss how the integration of telemetry systems for deriving certain physiological parameters can help to complement the description of the animal model to offer better translation to human studies. Ultimately, we will discuss how such HCM data can be statistically interpreted and analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vootele Voikar
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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16
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Theil JH, Ahloy-Dallaire J, Weber EM, Gaskill BN, Pritchett-Corning KR, Felt SA, Garner JP. The epidemiology of fighting in group-housed laboratory mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16649. [PMID: 33024186 PMCID: PMC7538892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73620-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Injurious home-cage aggression (fighting) in mice affects both animal welfare and scientific validity. It is arguably the most common potentially preventable morbidity in mouse facilities. Existing literature on mouse aggression almost exclusively examines territorial aggression induced by introducing a stimulus mouse into the home-cage of a singly housed mouse (i.e. the resident/intruder test). However, fighting occurring in mice living together in long-term groups under standard laboratory housing conditions has barely been studied. We performed a point-prevalence epidemiological survey of fighting at a research institution with an approximate 60,000 cage census. A subset of cages was sampled over the course of a year and factors potentially influencing home-cage fighting were recorded. Fighting was almost exclusively seen in group-housed male mice. Approximately 14% of group-housed male cages were observed with fighting animals in brief behavioral observations, but only 14% of those cages with fighting had skin injuries observable from cage-side. Thus simple cage-side checks may be missing the majority of fighting mice. Housing system (the combination of cage ventilation and bedding type), genetic background, time of year, cage location on the rack, and rack orientation in the room were significant risk factors predicting fighting. Of these predictors, only bedding type is easily manipulated to mitigate fighting. Cage ventilation and rack orientation often cannot be changed in modern vivaria, as they are baked in by cookie-cutter architectural approaches to facility design. This study emphasizes the need to invest in assessing the welfare costs of new housing and husbandry systems before implementing them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H Theil
- Campus Veterinary Services, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jamie Ahloy-Dallaire
- Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Elin M Weber
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Gråbrödragatan 19, 532 31, Skara, Sweden
| | - Brianna N Gaskill
- Animal Sciences Department, Purdue University, 270 S. Russell St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, 16 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Stephen A Felt
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305-5342, USA
| | - Joseph P Garner
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305-5342, USA. .,(By Courtesy), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305-5342, USA.
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