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Wu YC, Yang JY, Hsu CH. Tape-assisted fabrication method for constructing PDMS membrane-containing culture devices with cyclic radial stretching stimulation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240284. [PMID: 39144495 PMCID: PMC11321861 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Advanced in vitro culture systems have emerged as alternatives to animal testing and traditional cell culture methods in biomedical research. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is frequently used in creating sophisticated culture devices owing to its elastomeric properties, which allow mechanical stretching to simulate physiological movements in cell experiments. We introduce a straightforward method that uses three types of commercial tape-generic, magic and masking-to fabricate PDMS membranes with microscale thicknesses (47.2 µm for generic, 58.1 µm for magic and 89.37 µm for masking) in these devices. These membranes are shaped as the bases of culture wells and can perform cyclic radial movements controlled via a vacuum system. In experiments with A549 cells under three mechanical stimulation conditions, we analysed transcriptional regulators responsive to external mechanical stimuli. Results indicated increased nuclear yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) activity in both confluent and densely packed cells under cyclically mechanical strains (Pearson's coefficient (PC) of 0.59 in confluent and 0.24 in dense cells) compared with static (PC = 0.47 in confluent and 0.13 in dense) and stretched conditions (PC = 0.55 in confluent and 0.20 in dense). This technique offers laboratories without microfabrication capabilities a viable option for exploring cellular behaviour under dynamic mechanical stimulation using PDMS membrane-equipped devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Chen Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli35053, Taiwan
- Institute of Nanoengineering and Microsystems, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Yi Yang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli35053, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsien Hsu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli35053, Taiwan
- Institute of Nanoengineering and Microsystems, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
- Doctoral Program in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung40227, Taiwan
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Kahnau P, Mieske P, Wilzopolski J, Kalliokoski O, Mandillo S, Hölter SM, Voikar V, Amfim A, Badurek S, Bartelik A, Caruso A, Čater M, Ey E, Golini E, Jaap A, Hrncic D, Kiryk A, Lang B, Loncarevic-Vasiljkovic N, Meziane H, Radzevičienė A, Rivalan M, Scattoni ML, Torquet N, Trifkovic J, Ulfhake B, Thöne-Reineke C, Diederich K, Lewejohann L, Hohlbaum K. A systematic review of the development and application of home cage monitoring in laboratory mice and rats. BMC Biol 2023; 21:256. [PMID: 37953247 PMCID: PMC10642068 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01751-7] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditionally, in biomedical animal research, laboratory rodents are individually examined in test apparatuses outside of their home cages at selected time points. However, the outcome of such tests can be influenced by various factors and valuable information may be missed when the animals are only monitored for short periods. These issues can be overcome by longitudinally monitoring mice and rats in their home cages. To shed light on the development of home cage monitoring (HCM) and the current state-of-the-art, a systematic review was carried out on 521 publications retrieved through PubMed and Web of Science. RESULTS Both the absolute (~ × 26) and relative (~ × 7) number of HCM-related publications increased from 1974 to 2020. There was a clear bias towards males and individually housed animals, but during the past decade (2011-2020), an increasing number of studies used both sexes and group housing. In most studies, animals were kept for short (up to 4 weeks) time periods in the HCM systems; intermediate time periods (4-12 weeks) increased in frequency in the years between 2011 and 2020. Before the 2000s, HCM techniques were predominantly applied for less than 12 h, while 24-h measurements have been more frequent since the 2000s. The systematic review demonstrated that manual monitoring is decreasing in relation to automatic techniques but still relevant. Until (and including) the 1990s, most techniques were applied manually but have been progressively replaced by automation since the 2000s. Independent of the year of publication, the main behavioral parameters measured were locomotor activity, feeding, and social behaviors; the main physiological parameters were heart rate and electrocardiography. External appearance-related parameters were rarely examined in the home cages. Due to technological progress and application of artificial intelligence, more refined and detailed behavioral parameters have been investigated in the home cage more recently. CONCLUSIONS Over the period covered in this study, techniques for HCM of mice and rats have improved considerably. This development is ongoing and further progress as well as validation of HCM systems will extend the applications to allow for continuous, longitudinal, non-invasive monitoring of an increasing range of parameters in group-housed small rodents in their home cages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Mieske
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny Wilzopolski
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Otto Kalliokoski
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Silvia Mandillo
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabine M Hölter
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Adriana Amfim
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sylvia Badurek
- Preclinical Phenotyping Facility, Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF), member of the Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Aleksandra Bartelik
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Angela Caruso
- Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Research Coordination and Support Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Maša Čater
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Elodie Ey
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, Illkirch, 67400, France
| | - Elisabetta Golini
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Anne Jaap
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dragan Hrncic
- Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian", Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Anna Kiryk
- Laboratory of Preclinical Testing of Higher Standard, Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Benjamin Lang
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natasa Loncarevic-Vasiljkovic
- iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS, FCM, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Hamid Meziane
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Clinique de La Souris (ICS), CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch, 67404, France
| | - Aurelija Radzevičienė
- Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical Academy, Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Research Institute for Experimental Medicine (FEM) and NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Animal Behaviour Phenotyping Facility, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Research Coordination and Support Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicolas Torquet
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, IGBMC, Institut Clinique de la Souris (ICS), CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, Illkirch, 67400, France
| | - Julijana Trifkovic
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of East Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Brun Ulfhake
- Div. Clinical Physiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christa Thöne-Reineke
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany.
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany.
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Beck J, Wernisch B, Klaus T, Penn DJ, Zala SM. Attraction of female house mice to male ultrasonic courtship vocalizations depends on their social experience and estrous stage. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285642. [PMID: 37816035 PMCID: PMC10564145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285642] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Male house mice (Mus musculus) produce complex ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), especially during courtship and mating. Playback experiments suggest that female attraction towards recordings of male USVs depends on their social experience, paternal exposure, and estrous stage. We conducted a playback experiment with wild-derived female house mice (M. musculus musculus) and compared their attraction to male USVs versus the same recording without USVs (background noise). We tested whether female attraction to USVs is influenced by the following factors: (1) social housing (two versus one female per cage); (2) neonatal paternal exposure (rearing females with versus without father); and (3) estrous stage. We found that females showed a significant attraction to male USVs but only when they were housed socially with another female. Individually housed females showed the opposite response. We found no evidence that pre-weaning exposure to a father influenced females' preferences, whereas estrous stage influenced females' attraction to male USVs: females not in estrus showed preferences towards male USVs, whereas estrous females did not. Finally, we found that individually housed females were more likely to be in sexually receptive estrous stages than those housed socially, and that attraction to male USVs was most pronounced amongst non-receptive females that were socially housed. Our findings indicate that the attraction of female mice to male USVs depends upon their social experience and estrous stage, though not paternal exposure. They contribute to the growing number of studies showing that social housing and estrous stage can influence the behavior of house mice and we show how such unreported variables can contribute to the replication crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Beck
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bettina Wernisch
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Teresa Klaus
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dustin J. Penn
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah M. Zala
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Nunamaker EA, Turner PV. Unmasking the Adverse Impacts of Sex Bias on Science and Research Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2792. [PMID: 37685056 PMCID: PMC10486396 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172792] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex bias in biomedical and natural science research has been prevalent for decades. In many cases, the female estrous cycle was thought to be too complex an issue to model for, and it was thought to be simpler to only use males in studies. At times, particularly when studying efficacy and safety of new therapeutics, this sex bias has resulted in over- and under-medication with associated deleterious side effects in women. Many sex differences have been recognized that are unrelated to hormonal variation occurring during the estrous cycle. Sex bias also creates animal welfare challenges related to animal over-production and wastage, insufficient consideration of welfare (and scientific) impact related to differential housing of male vs female animals within research facilities, and a lack of understanding regarding differential requirements for pain recognition and alleviation in male versus female animals. Although many funding and government agencies require both sexes to be studied in biomedical research, many disparities remain in practice. This requires further enforcement of expectations by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee when reviewing protocols, research groups when writing grants, planning studies, and conducting research, and scientific journals and reviewers to ensure that sex bias policies are enforced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Nunamaker
- Global Animal Welfare and Training, Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA;
| | - Patricia V. Turner
- Global Animal Welfare and Training, Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA;
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Kahnau P, Jaap A, Urmersbach B, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Development of an IntelliCage-based cognitive bias test for mice. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2023; 2:128. [PMID: 37799631 PMCID: PMC10548109 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.15294.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The cognitive bias test is used to measure the emotional state of animals with regard to future expectations. Thus, the test offers a unique possibility to assess animal welfare with regard to housing and testing conditions of laboratory animals. So far, however, performing such a test is time-consuming and requires the presence of an experimenter. Therefore, we developed an automated and home-cage based cognitive bias test based on the IntelliCage system. We present several developmental steps to improve the experimental design leading to a successful measurement of cognitive bias in group-housed female C57BL/6J mice. The automated and home-cage based test design allows to obtain individual data from group-housed mice, to test the mice in their familiar environment, and during their active phase. By connecting the test-cage to the home-cage via a gating system, the mice participated in the test on a self-chosen schedule, indicating high motivation to actively participate in the experiment. We propose that this should have a positive effect on the animals themselves as well as on the data. Unexpectedly, the mice showed an optimistic cognitive bias after enrichment was removed and additional restraining. An optimistic expectation of the future as a consequence of worsening environmental conditions, however, can also be interpreted as an active coping strategy in which a potential profit is sought to be maximized through a higher willingness to take risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Anne Jaap
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Birk Urmersbach
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
- Insitute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, 14163, Germany
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6
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Kahnau P, Jaap A, Urmersbach B, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Development of an IntelliCage-based cognitive bias test for mice. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2023; 2:128. [PMID: 37799631 PMCID: PMC10548109 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.15294.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive bias test is used to measure the emotional state of animals with regard to future expectations. Thus, the test offers a unique possibility to assess animal welfare with regard to housing and testing conditions of laboratory animals. So far, however, performing such a test is time-consuming and requires the presence of an experimenter. Therefore, we developed an automated and home-cage based cognitive bias test based on the IntelliCage system. We present several developmental steps to improve the experimental design leading to a successful measurement of cognitive bias in group-housed female C57BL/6J mice. The automated and home-cage based test design allows to obtain individual data from group-housed mice, to test the mice in their familiar environment, and during their active phase. By connecting the test-cage to the home-cage via a gating system, the mice participated in the test on a self-chosen schedule, indicating high motivation to actively participate in the experiment. We propose that this should have a positive effect on the animals themselves as well as on the data. Unexpectedly, the mice showed an optimistic cognitive bias after enrichment was removed and additional restraining. An optimistic expectation of the future as a consequence of worsening environmental conditions, however, can also be interpreted as an active coping strategy in which a potential profit is sought to be maximized through a higher willingness to take risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Anne Jaap
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Birk Urmersbach
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Laboratory Animal Science, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, 10589, Germany
- Insitute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, 14163, Germany
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Turner PV, Bayne K. Research Animal Behavioral Management Programs for the 21st Century. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1919. [PMID: 37370429 DOI: 10.3390/ani13121919] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral management programs have been developed commonly for research dogs and primates but rarely has program consideration been expanded to include all research species worked with. This is necessary to reduce animal stress and promote natural behaviors, which can promote good animal welfare and result in more robust and reproducible scientific data. We describe the evolution of consideration for research animal needs and define an umbrella-based model of research animal behavioral management programs, which may be used for all research species. In addition to developing a more comprehensive program, we emphasize the need for regular welfare assessments to determine whether the program is working cohesively and whether any aspects require modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia V Turner
- Global Animal Welfare & Training, Charles River, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Sexton S, Repasky E. How Much Stress Is Too Much? Lab Anim (NY) 2023; 52:77-78. [PMID: 37002299 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-023-01144-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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9
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Behavioral Voluntary and Social Bioassays Enabling Identification of Complex and Sex-Dependent Pain-(-Related) Phenotypes in Rats with Bone Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15051565. [PMID: 36900357 PMCID: PMC10000428 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051565] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is a common and devastating symptom with limited treatment options in patients, significantly affecting their quality of life. The use of rodent models is the most common approach to uncovering the mechanisms underlying CIBP; however, the translation of results to the clinic may be hindered because the assessment of pain-related behavior is often based exclusively on reflexive-based methods, which are only partially indicative of relevant pain in patients. To improve the accuracy and strength of the preclinical, experimental model of CIBP in rodents, we used a battery of multimodal behavioral tests that were also aimed at identifying rodent-specific behavioral components by using a home-cage monitoring assay (HCM). Rats of all sexes received an injection with either heat-deactivated (sham-group) or potent mammary gland carcinoma Walker 256 cells into the tibia. By integrating multimodal datasets, we assessed pain-related behavioral trajectories of the CIBP-phenotype, including evoked and non-evoked based assays and HCM. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we discovered sex-specific differences in establishing the CIBP-phenotype, which occurred earlier (and differently) in males. Additionally, HCM phenotyping revealed the occurrence of sensory-affective states manifested by mechanical hypersensitivity in sham when housed with a tumor-bearing cagemate (CIBP) of the same sex. This multimodal battery allows for an in-depth characterization of the CIBP-phenotype under social aspects in rats. The detailed, sex-specific, and rat-specific social phenotyping of CIBP enabled by PCA provides the basis for mechanism-driven studies to ensure robustness and generalizability of results and provide information for targeted drug development in the future.
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Kahnau P, Jaap A, Diederich K, Gygax L, Rudeck J, Lewejohann L. Determining the value of preferred goods based on consumer demand in a home-cage based test for mice. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:751-766. [PMID: 35469084 PMCID: PMC10027648 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01813-8] [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] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
From the preference of one good over another, the strength of the preference cannot automatically be inferred. While money is the common denominator to assess the value of goods in humans, it appears difficult at first glance to put a price tag on the decisions of laboratory animals. Here we used consumer demand tests to measure how much work female mice expend to obtain access to different liquids. The mice could each choose between two liquids, one of which was free. The amount of work required to access the other liquid, by contrast, increased daily. In this way, the value of the liquid can be determined from a mouse's microeconomic perspective. The unique feature is that our test was carried out in a home-cage based setup. The mice lived in a group but could individually access the test-cage, which was connected to the home-cage via a gate. Thereby the mice were able to perform their task undisturbed by group members and on a self-chosen schedule with minimal influence by the experimenter. Our results show that the maximum number of nosepokes depends on the liquids presented. Mice worked incredibly hard for access to water while a bitter-tasting solution was offered for free whereas they made less nosepokes for sweetened liquids while water was offered for free. The results demonstrate that it is possible to perform automated and home-cage based consumer demand tests in order to ask the mice not only what they like best but also how strong their preference is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anne Jaap
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lorenz Gygax
- Animal Husbandry and Ethology, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Rudeck
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Hobbiesiefken U, Urmersbach B, Jaap A, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Rating enrichment items by female group-housed laboratory mice in multiple binary choice tests using an RFID-based tracking system. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278709. [PMID: 36656912 PMCID: PMC9851564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory mice spend most of their lives in cages, not experiments, so improving housing conditions is a first-choice approach to improving their welfare. Despite the increasing popularity of enrichment, little is known about the benefits from an animal perspective. For a detailed analysis, we categorized enrichment items according to their prospective use into the categories 'structural', 'housing', and 'foraging'. In homecage-based multiple binary choice tests 12 female C57BL/6J mice chose between enrichment items within the respective categories over a 46-hour period. A new analyzing method combined the binary decisions and ranked the enrichment items within each category by calculating worth values and consensus errors. Although there was no unequivocal ranking that was true in its entire rank order for all individual mice, certain elements (e.g. lattice ball, second plane) were always among the top positions. Overall, a high consensus error in ranking positions reflects strong individual differences in preferences which could not be resolved due to the relatively small sample size. However, individual differences in the preference for enrichment items highlights the importance of a varied enrichment approach, as there does not seem to be one item that satisfies the wants and needs of all individuals to the same degree. An enrichment concept, in which the needs of the animals are central, contributes to a more specific refinement of housing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Birk Urmersbach
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Jaap
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, 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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Resasco A, Diaz SL. Mouse breeding facilities in Argentina: Current state, challenges, and strengths in relation to animal welfare. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1031976. [PMID: 36337207 PMCID: PMC9630945 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1031976] [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: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The science and technology of laboratory animals has come a long way worldwide, but for reasons related to the development of the countries, this journey started later in some Latin American countries, as is the case of Argentina. Without a specific legal framework to conduct animal experimentation, local strengths to promote animal welfare are based on professionals specifically trained in the care of laboratory animals as well as an extended network of ethics committees that ensures compliance with the ethical principles applied to animal experimentation. Nevertheless, there are no updated reports showing welfare indicators in rodent facilities. Therefore, we conducted a survey on mice breeding facilities enrolled in a national record elaborated by the National Ministry of Science. Questions related to four of the Five Domains Model of Mellor, concerning (1) nutrition, (2) physical environment, (3) health, and (4) behavioral interactions with the environment, other animals, and humans, were included as well as information concerning general aspects of the establishments. Data obtained from 25 mice breeder facilities localized all over the country were summarized, providing for the first time a clear picture of the national situation about the welfare of laboratory mice in these establishments. This data will be essential to design future policy as well as for deciding priorities aiming to improve the welfare of mice bred in Argentinian facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Resasco
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (UBA - CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Animales de Experimentación (LAE), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Silvina Laura Diaz
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (UBA - CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Cátedra de Técnica para Bioterio, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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14
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Wang N, Wang K, Liu Y, Zhang X, Zhao J, Zhang S, Zhang L. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in laboratory rodents in China. Parasite 2022; 29:46. [PMID: 36219067 PMCID: PMC9552759 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2022046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis are significant zoonotic intestinal pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and induce a host immune response. A total of 1237 fecal samples were collected from laboratory rodents (rats, mice and guinea pigs) from four different locations in China to investigate the infection rates and molecular characterization of these pathogens on experimental animals. Genomic DNA was extracted from each sample, and PCR amplifications were done. Overall, the Cryptosporidium spp. infection rate was 3.8% (47/1237). Four known Cryptosporidium species were identified, namely C. parvum, C. muris, C. tyzzeri and C. homai, the three former being zoonotic species. The overall E. bieneusi infection rate was 3.0% (37/1237). Seven known E. bieneusi genotypes, namely S7, BEB6, J, Henan-IV, CHG10, D and WL6, were detected by sequence analysis. Among these, genotypes D, Henan-IV and CHG10 have a high zoonotic risk. Giardia duodenalis was not detected at any of the three loci (SSU rRNA, bg and gdh) after PCR amplification. This study provides basic data for these pathogens in laboratory rodents in China and lays the foundation for their prevention and control in laboratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanhao Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan Zhengzhou Henan PR China,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhengzhou Henan PR China
| | - Ke Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan Zhengzhou Henan PR China,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhengzhou Henan PR China
| | - Yufeng Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan Zhengzhou Henan PR China,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhengzhou Henan PR China
| | - Xiaotian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan Zhengzhou Henan PR China,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhengzhou Henan PR China
| | - Jinfeng Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China
| | - Sumei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan Zhengzhou Henan PR China,Corresponding authors: (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Longxian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University Zhengzhou 450046 Henan PR China,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan Zhengzhou Henan PR China,Corresponding authors: (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
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15
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Mieske P, Hobbiesiefken U, Fischer-Tenhagen C, Heinl C, Hohlbaum K, Kahnau P, Meier J, Wilzopolski J, Butzke D, Rudeck J, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Bored at home?—A systematic review on the effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare of laboratory rats and mice. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:899219. [PMID: 36061113 PMCID: PMC9435384 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.899219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Boredom is an emotional state that occurs when an individual has nothing to do, is not interested in the surrounding, and feels dreary and in a monotony. While this condition is usually defined for humans, it may very well describe the lives of many laboratory animals housed in small, barren cages. To make the cages less monotonous, environmental enrichment is often proposed. Although housing in a stimulating environment is still used predominantly as a luxury good and for treatment in preclinical research, enrichment is increasingly recognized to improve animal welfare. To gain insight into how stimulating environments influence the welfare of laboratory rodents, we conducted a systematic review of studies that analyzed the effect of enriched environment on behavioral parameters of animal well–being. Remarkably, a considerable number of these parameters can be associated with symptoms of boredom. Our findings show that a stimulating living environment is essential for the development of natural behavior and animal welfare of laboratory rats and mice alike, regardless of age and sex. Conversely, confinement and under-stimulation has potentially detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of laboratory rodents. We show that boredom in experimental animals is measurable and does not have to be accepted as inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carola Fischer-Tenhagen
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Céline Heinl
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Kahnau
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennifer Meier
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny Wilzopolski
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Butzke
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Rudeck
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kai Diederich
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16
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Ratuski AS, Weary DM. Environmental Enrichment for Rats and Mice Housed in Laboratories: A Metareview. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12040414. [PMID: 35203123 PMCID: PMC8868396 DOI: 10.3390/ani12040414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Environmental enrichment has been widely studied with laboratory rodents, but there is no consensus regarding what counts as enrichment or what it should achieve. Inconsistent use of the term “enrichment” creates challenges in drawing conclusions about the quality of an environment. We conducted a metareview to better understand the definitions and goals of enrichment, perceived risks or requirements of enrichment, and what forms of enrichment have previously been endorsed for use with rodents housed in laboratories. This may help researchers and animal care staff to better define their chosen approach and intended outcomes when providing environmental enrichment. Abstract Environmental enrichment has been widely studied in rodents, but there is no consensus on what enrichment should look like or what it should achieve. Inconsistent use of the term “enrichment” creates challenges in drawing conclusions about the quality of an environment, which may slow housing improvements for laboratory animals. Many review articles have addressed environmental enrichment for laboratory rats and mice (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus). We conducted a metareview of 29 review articles to assess how enrichment has been defined and what are commonly described as its goals or requirements. Recommendations from each article were summarised to illustrate the conditions generally considered suitable for laboratory rodents. While there is no consensus on alternative terminology, many articles acknowledged that the blanket use of the terms “enriched” and “enrichment” should be avoided. Environmental enrichment was most often conceptualised as a method to increase natural behaviour and improve animal welfare. Authors also commonly outlined perceived risks and requirements of environmental enrichment. We discuss these perceptions, make suggestions for future research, and advocate for the adoption of more specific and value-neutral terminology.
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YOSHIDA T, KOBAYASHI M, UOMOTO S, OHSHIMA K, HARA E, KATOH Y, TAKAHASHI N, HARADA T, USUI T, ELBADAWY M, SHIBUTANI M. The Potential of Organoids in Toxicologic Pathology: Role of toxicologic pathologists in <i>in vitro</i> chemical hepatotoxicity assessment. J Toxicol Pathol 2022; 35:225-235. [PMID: 35832897 PMCID: PMC9256002 DOI: 10.1293/tox.2022-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Toshinori YOSHIDA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Mio KOBAYASHI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Suzuka UOMOTO
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Kanami OHSHIMA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Emika HARA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka KATOH
- Laboratory of Pathology, Toxicology Division, The Institute of Environmental Toxicology, 4321 Uchimoriya-machi, Joso-shi, Ibaraki 303-0043, Japan
| | - Naofumi TAKAHASHI
- Laboratory of Pathology, Toxicology Division, The Institute of Environmental Toxicology, 4321 Uchimoriya-machi, Joso-shi, Ibaraki 303-0043, Japan
| | - Takanori HARADA
- Laboratory of Pathology, Toxicology Division, The Institute of Environmental Toxicology, 4321 Uchimoriya-machi, Joso-shi, Ibaraki 303-0043, Japan
| | - Tatsuya USUI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Mohamed ELBADAWY
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Makoto SHIBUTANI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
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Hobbiesiefken U, Mieske P, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Evaluation of different types of enrichment - their usage and effect on home cage behavior in female mice. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261876. [PMID: 34941949 PMCID: PMC8699725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies ascertained positive effects of enriched environments on the well-being of laboratory animals including behavioral, physiological and neurochemical parameters. Conversely, such conclusions imply impaired animal welfare and health in barren husbandry conditions. Moreover, inappropriate housing of laboratory animals may deteriorate the quality of scientific data. Recommendations for housing laboratory animals stipulate that cages should be enriched to mitigate adverse effects of barren housing. In this context, it is not only unclear what exactly is meant by enrichment, but also how the animals themselves interact with the various items on offer. Focal animal observation of female C57BL/6J mice either housed in conventional (CON) or enriched (ENR) conditions served to analyze the impact of enriching housing on welfare related behavior patterns including stereotypical, maintenance, active social, and inactive behaviors. CON conditions resembled current usual housing of laboratory mice, whereas ENR mice received varying enrichment items including foraging, housing and structural elements, and a running disc. Active and inactive use of these elements was quantitatively assessed. CON mice showed significantly more inactive and stereotypical behavior than ENR mice. ENR mice frequently engaged with all enrichment elements, whereby riddles to obtain food reward and the running disc preferably served for active interactions. Offering a second level resulted in high active and inactive interactions. Structural elements fixed at the cagetop were least attractive for the mice. Overall, the presented data underline the positive welfare benefits of enrichment and that mice clearly differentiate between distinct enrichment types, demonstrating that the perspective of the animals themselves should also be taken into account when specifying laboratory housing conditions. This is particularly important, as the ensuring of animal welfare is an essential prerequisite for reliable, reproducible, and scientifically meaningful results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Mieske
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
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19
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Mieske P, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Roaming in a Land of Milk and Honey: Life Trajectories and Metabolic Rate of Female Inbred Mice Living in a Semi Naturalistic Environment. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11103002. [PMID: 34680021 PMCID: PMC8532919 DOI: 10.3390/ani11103002] [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: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts at standardization, the results of scientific studies can vary greatly, especially when considering animal research. It is important to emphasize that consistent different personality-like traits emerge and accumulate over time in laboratory mice despite genetic and environmental standardization. To understand to what extent variability can unfold over time, we conducted a long-term study using inbred mice living in an exceptionally complex environment comprising an area of 4.6 m2 spread over five levels. In this semi-naturalistic environment (SNE) the activity and spatial distribution of 20 female C57Bl/6J was recorded by radio-frequency identification (RFID). All individuals were monitored from an age of 11 months to 22 months and their individual pattern of spatial movement in time is described as roaming entropy. Overall, we detected an increase of diversification in roaming behavior over time with stabilizing activity patterns at the individual level. However, spontaneous behavior of the animals as well as physiological parameters did not correlate with cumulative roaming entropy. Moreover, the amount of variability did not exceed the literature data derived from mice living in restricted conventional laboratory conditions. We conclude that even taking quantum leaps towards improving animal welfare does not inevitably mean a setback in terms of data quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (K.D.); (L.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (K.D.); (L.L.)
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; (K.D.); (L.L.)
- Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany
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20
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Ohnesorge N, Heinl C, Lewejohann L. Current Methods to Investigate Nociception and Pain in Zebrafish. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:632634. [PMID: 33897350 PMCID: PMC8061727 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.632634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is an unpleasant, negative emotion and its debilitating effects are complex to manage. Mammalian models have long dominated research on nociception and pain, but there is increasing evidence for comparable processes in fish. The need to improve existing pain models for drug research and the obligation for 3R refinement of fish procedures facilitated the development of numerous new assays of nociception and pain in fish. The zebrafish is already a well-established animal model in many other research areas like toxicity testing, as model for diseases or regeneration and has great potential in pain research, too. Methods of electrophysiology, molecular biology, analysis of reflexive or non-reflexive behavior and fluorescent imaging are routinely applied but it is the combination of these tools what makes the zebrafish model so powerful. Simultaneously, observing complex behavior in free-swimming larvae, as well as their neuronal activity at the cellular level, opens new avenues for pain research. This review aims to supply a toolbox for researchers by summarizing current methods to study nociception and pain in zebrafish. We identify treatments with the best algogenic potential, be it chemical, thermal or electric stimuli and discuss options of analgesia to counter effects of nociception and pain by opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or local anesthetics. In addition, we critically evaluate these practices, identify gaps of knowledge and outline potential future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Ohnesorge
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Céline Heinl
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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21
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Mota-Rojas D, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Hernández E, Martínez-Burnes J, Whittaker AL. The Utility of Grimace Scales for Practical Pain Assessment in Laboratory Animals. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101838. [PMID: 33050267 PMCID: PMC7600890 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Grimace scales for laboratory animals were first reported ten years ago. Yet, despite their promise as pain assessment tools it appears that they have not been implemented widely in animal research establishments for clinical pain assessment. We discuss potential reasons for this based on the knowledge gained to date on their use and suggest avenues for further research, which might improve uptake of their use in laboratory animal medicine. Abstract Animals’ facial expressions are widely used as a readout for emotion. Scientific interest in the facial expressions of laboratory animals has centered primarily on negative experiences, such as pain, experienced as a result of scientific research procedures. Recent attempts to standardize evaluation of facial expressions associated with pain in laboratory animals has culminated in the development of “grimace scales”. The prevention or relief of pain in laboratory animals is a fundamental requirement for in vivo research to satisfy community expectations. However, to date it appears that the grimace scales have not seen widespread implementation as clinical pain assessment techniques in biomedical research. In this review, we discuss some of the barriers to implementation of the scales in clinical laboratory animal medicine, progress made in automation of collection, and suggest avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Ciudad de México 04960, CDMX, Mexico;
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Tlalpan 14389, CDMX, Mexico; (A.O.-H.); (A.V.-M.)
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Tlalpan 14389, CDMX, Mexico; (A.O.-H.); (A.V.-M.)
| | - Elein Hernández
- Department of Clinical Studies and Surgery, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautiltán UNAM, Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Estado de México, Mexico;
| | - Julio Martínez-Burnes
- Graduate and Research Department, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Cd Victoria 87000, Tamaulipas, Mexico;
| | - Alexandra L. Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, SA 5116, Australia
- Correspondence:
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22
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Kahnau P, Habedank A, Diederich K, Lewejohann L. Behavioral Methods for Severity Assessment. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10071136. [PMID: 32635341 PMCID: PMC7401632 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In 2017, 9.4 million animals were used for research and testing in the European Union. Animal testing always entails the potential for harm caused to the animals. In order to minimize animal suffering, it is of ethical and scientific interest to have a research-based severity assessment of animal experiments. In the past, many methods have been developed to investigate animal suffering. Initially, the focus was on physiological parameters, such as body weight or glucocorticoids as an indicator of stress. In addition, the animals’ behavior has come more into focus and has been included as an indicator of severity. However, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of animal suffering, an animal’s individual perspective should also be taken into account. Preference tests might be used, for example, to “ask” animals what they prefer, and providing such goods in turn allows, among other things, to improve housing conditions. In this review, different methods are introduced, which can be used to investigate and evaluate animal suffering and well-being with a special focus on animal-centric strategies. Abstract It has become mandatory for the application for allowance of animal experimentation to rate the severity of the experimental procedures. In order to minimize suffering related to animal experimentation it is therefore crucial to develop appropriate methods for the assessment of animal suffering. Physiological parameters such as hormones or body weight are used to assess stress in laboratory animals. However, such physiological parameters alone are often difficult to interpret and leave a wide scope for interpretation. More recently, behavior, feelings and emotions have come increasingly into the focus of welfare research. Tests like preference tests or cognitive bias tests give insight on how animals evaluate certain situations or objects, how they feel and what their emotional state is. These methods should be combined in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the well-being of laboratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.H.); (K.D.); (L.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-30-18412-29202
| | - Anne Habedank
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.H.); (K.D.); (L.L.)
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.H.); (K.D.); (L.L.)
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), 12277 Berlin, Germany; (A.H.); (K.D.); (L.L.)
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany
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