Hinchcliffe JK, Jackson MG, Robinson ES. The use of ball pits and playpens in laboratory Lister Hooded male rats induces ultrasonic vocalisations indicating a more positive affective state and can reduce the welfare impacts of aversive procedures.
Lab Anim 2022;
56:370-379. [PMID:
35023405 PMCID:
PMC9388951 DOI:
10.1177/00236772211065920]
[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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The advancement and quality of science rely on research that is robust and
unbiased in its experimental design, execution, analysis, and reproducibility.
In preclinical research, a better understanding of animal emotions and
refinement of their husbandry, housing, and handling are important goals in
providing good animal welfare in a laboratory setting which underpins rigorous
research quality. Induction of positive emotional state in animals is a key
component of their well-being, and one approach is to increase their
environmental complexity using, for example, ball pits or playpens in rats. In
this study, we recorded 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) during animals’
exposure to the ball pit and playpen. We have previously shown that 50 kHz USVs
provide a graded and quantifiable measure of an animal’s emotional state, and
here find that access to the ball pit and playpen increases 50 kHz USVs,
indicative of a more positive affective state. Using our affective bias test
(ABT) we next quantified the animals’ emotional response to an aversive
intervention and whether this could be attenuated by access to a playpen. The
playpen exposure completely mitigated the negative affective state induced by an
anxiogenic drug when compared with animals who experienced the drug in the home
cage. Together, these findings suggest ball pits and playpens provide a simple
and effective method to improve the welfare of laboratory rats and reduce the
cumulative suffering they experience from their housing conditions and minor,
aversive procedures.
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