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Szilágyi A, Takács B, Szekeres R, Tarjányi V, Nagy D, Priksz D, Bombicz M, Kiss R, Szabó AM, Lehoczki A, Gesztelyi R, Juhász B, Szilvássy Z, Varga B. Effects of voluntary and forced physical exercise on the retinal health of aging Wistar rats. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01208-x. [PMID: 38795184 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01208-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by an increased prevalence of degenerative conditions, including those affecting ocular health, which significantly impact quality of life and increase the burden on healthcare systems. Among these, retinal aging is of particular concern due to its direct link to vision impairment, a leading cause of disability in the elderly. Vision loss in the aging population is associated with heightened risks of cognitive decline, social isolation, and morbidity. This study addresses the critical gap in our understanding of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as physical exercise, that may mitigate retinal aging and its related pathologies. We investigated the effects of different exercise regimens-voluntary (recreational-type) and forced (high-intensity)-on the retinal health of aging Wistar rats (18-month-old), serving as a model for studying the translational potential of exercise interventions in humans. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: a young control (3-month-old) for baseline comparison, an aged sedentary control, an aged group engaging in voluntary exercise via a running wheel in their cage, and an aged group subjected to forced exercise on a treadmill for six sessions of 20 min each per week. After a 6-month experimental period, we assessed retinal function via electroretinography (ERG), measured retinal thickness histologically, and analyzed protein expression changes relevant to oxidative stress, inflammation, and anti-aging mechanisms. Our findings reveal that voluntary exercise positively impacts retinal function and morphology, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation markers while enhancing anti-aging protein expression. In contrast, forced exercise showed diminished benefits. These insights underscore the importance of exercise intensity and preference in preserving retinal health during aging. The study highlights the potential of recreational physical activity as a non-invasive strategy to counteract retinal aging, advocating for further research into exercise regimens as preventative therapies for age-related ocular degenerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Szilágyi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Barbara Takács
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Réka Szekeres
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Vera Tarjányi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Dávid Nagy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Dániel Priksz
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Mariann Bombicz
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Rita Kiss
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Adrienn Mónika Szabó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrea Lehoczki
- Departments of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, South Pest Central Hospital, National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Saint Ladislaus Campus, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral College, Health Sciences Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rudolf Gesztelyi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Béla Juhász
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Szilvássy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Balázs Varga
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei Krt 98., 4032, Debrecen, Hungary.
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Stoikos J, Kurgan N, Kottaras S, Fajardo VA, Gittings W, Klentrou P. Effects of sclerostin injection on soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscle tissue in male mice. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2024; 102:293-304. [PMID: 37976473 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2023-0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Sclerostin, a potent inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway, plays a critical role in bone homeostasis. Evidence suggests that sclerostin may also be involved in crosstalk between other tissues, including muscle. This pilot study attempted to examine the effects of sclerostin on soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle tissue from male mice that were given continuous recombinant sclerostin injections for 4 weeks. A total of 48 10-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to be sedentary or perform 1 h treadmill running per day for 4 weeks and administered subcutaneous injections of either saline or recombinant sclerostin 5 days/week. Sclerostin injection led to a reduction in the soleus myosin heavy chain (MHC) I, MHC I/IIA, MHC IIA/X, and MHC IIB cross-sectional area (p < 0.05) with no exercise effects on these reductions. In contrast, there were no effects of sclerostin injections or exercise on the fast-twitch EDL muscle in terms of size, MHC protein, or markers of Wnt signaling. These findings provide preliminary evidence of sclerostin's endocrine role in muscle via decreases in myofiber cross-sectional area, which seems to be independent of fiber type but muscle type-specific. More studies, however, are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Stoikos
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, ON, Canada
| | - Nigel Kurgan
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, ON, Canada
| | - Steven Kottaras
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, ON, Canada
| | - Val A Fajardo
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, ON, Canada
| | - William Gittings
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, ON, Canada
| | - Panagiota Klentrou
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, ON, Canada
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Shi X, Wang Y, Liu H, Han R. Targeting Hub Genes Involved in Muscle Injury Induced by Jumping Load Based on Transcriptomics. DNA Cell Biol 2023; 42:498-506. [PMID: 37339448 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2022.0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to find hub genes that may play key roles in skeletal muscle injury induced by jumping load. Twelve female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into the normal control (NC) group and the jumping-induced muscle injury (JI) group. After 6 weeks of jumping, transmission electron microscopy, hematoxylin-eosin staining, transcriptomics sequencing and genes analysis, interaction network prediction of multiple proteins, real-time PCR detection, and Western blotting were performed on gastrocnemius muscles from NC and JI groups. As compared with NC rats, excessive jumping can result in notable structural damage and inflammatory infiltration in JI rats. A total of 112 differentially expressed genes were confirmed in NC rats versus JI rats, with 59 genes upregulated and 53 genes downregulated. Using the online String database, four hub genes in the transcriptional regulatory network were targeted, including FOS, EGR1, ATF3, and NR4A3. All expression levels of FOS, EGR1, ATF3, and NR4A3 mRNAs were decreased in JI rats compared with NC rats (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). All expression levels of c-Fos, EGR1, ATF3, and NOR1 proteins were upregulated in JI rats (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p > 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively). Collectively, these findings indicate that FOS, EGR1, ATF3, and NR4A3 genes may be functionally important in jumping-induced muscle injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Shi
- Wushu College, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yijie Wang
- School of Physical Education and Sport, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Haitao Liu
- School of Physical Education and Sport, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Sports Reform and Development Research Center, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Rui Han
- School of Physical Education and Sport, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Sports Reform and Development Research Center, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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Zhu Q, Azad MAK, Dong H, Li C, Li R, Cheng Y, Liu Y, Yin Y, Kong X. Sow-Offspring Diets Supplemented with Probiotics and Synbiotics Are Associated with Offspring's Growth Performance and Meat Quality. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087668. [PMID: 37108828 PMCID: PMC10144797 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotics and synbiotics supplementation have been shown to play potential roles in animal production. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary probiotics and synbiotics supplementation to sows during gestation and lactation and to offspring pigs (sow-offspring) on offspring pigs' growth performance and meat quality. Sixty-four healthy Bama mini-pigs were selected and randomly allocated into four groups after mating: the control, antibiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics groups. After weaning, two offspring pigs per litter were selected, and four offspring pigs from two litters were merged into one pen. The offspring pigs were fed a basal diet and the same feed additive according to their corresponding sows, representing the control group (Con group), sow-offspring antibiotics group (S-OA group), sow-offspring probiotics group (S-OP group), and sow-offspring synbiotics group (S-OS group). Eight pigs per group were euthanized and sampled at 65, 95, and 125 d old for further analyses. Our findings showed that probiotics supplementation in sow-offspring diets promoted growth and feed intake of offspring pigs during 95-125 d old. Moreover, sow-offspring diets supplemented with probiotics and synbiotics altered meat quality (meat color, pH45min, pH24h, drip loss, cooking yield, and shear force), plasma UN and AMM levels, and gene expressions associated with muscle-fiber types (MyHCI, MyHCIIa, MyHCIIx, and MyHCIIb) and muscle growth and development (Myf5, Myf6, MyoD, and MyoG). This study provides a theoretical basis for the maternal-offspring integration regulation of meat quality by dietary probiotics and synbiotics supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Md Abul Kalam Azad
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haibo Dong
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Chenjian Li
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Ruixuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yating Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Yulong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiangfeng Kong
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Research Center of Mini-Pig, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China
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Araki H, Hino S, Anan K, Kuribayashi K, Etoh K, Seko D, Takase R, Kohrogi K, Hino Y, Ono Y, Araki E, Nakao M. LSD1 defines the fiber type-selective responsiveness to environmental stress in skeletal muscle. eLife 2023; 12:84618. [PMID: 36695573 PMCID: PMC9876571 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle exhibits remarkable plasticity in response to environmental cues, with stress-dependent effects on the fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. Although stress-induced gene expression underlies environmental adaptation, it is unclear how transcriptional and epigenetic factors regulate fiber type-specific responses in the muscle. Here, we show that flavin-dependent lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) differentially controls responses to glucocorticoid and exercise in postnatal skeletal muscle. Using skeletal muscle-specific LSD1-knockout mice and in vitro approaches, we found that LSD1 loss exacerbated glucocorticoid-induced atrophy in the fast fiber-dominant muscles, with reduced nuclear retention of Foxk1, an anti-autophagic transcription factor. Furthermore, LSD1 depletion enhanced endurance exercise-induced hypertrophy in the slow fiber-dominant muscles, by induced expression of ERRγ, a transcription factor that promotes oxidative metabolism genes. Thus, LSD1 serves as an 'epigenetic barrier' that optimizes fiber type-specific responses and muscle mass under the stress conditions. Our results uncover that LSD1 modulators provide emerging therapeutic and preventive strategies against stress-induced myopathies such as sarcopenia, cachexia, and disuse atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Araki
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Shinjiro Hino
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Kotaro Anan
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Kanji Kuribayashi
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Kan Etoh
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Daiki Seko
- Department of Muscle Development and Regeneration, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
- Department of Molecular Bone Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Ryuta Takase
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Kensaku Kohrogi
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Yuko Hino
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Yusuke Ono
- Department of Muscle Development and Regeneration, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Eiichi Araki
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Mitsuyoshi Nakao
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
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Effect of Feeding System on Muscle Fiber Composition, Antioxidant Capacity, and Nutritional and Organoleptic Traits of Goat Meat. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13010172. [PMID: 36611780 PMCID: PMC9817876 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010172] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding system on muscle fiber composition, antioxidant capacity, and nutritional and organoleptic traits of goat meat. Goats that grazed on flatland (whole area with about 0% inclination, FG group) and mountain range (whole area with about 40% inclination, MG group) were selected for the analysis. The results showed that grazing on flatland increased oxidized-twitch fiber percentage, the expression of the MyHC IIa gene (p < 0.001), the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (p < 0.05), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (p = 0.001), and radical scavenging ability (RSA) (p < 0.05); meanwhile, the MyHC IIb gene expression (p < 0.01) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p = 0.001) were decreased. Feeding system affected nutritional and organoleptic traits of goat meat, and grazing on flatland increased protein content, total content of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), pH45min, a* value, and variety of volatile flavor compounds but decreased the content of saturated fatty acid (SFA), shear force, and b* value. In addition, the key flavor substances were screened using relative odor activity value (ROAV), including hexanal, heptanal, (E)-2-octenal, octanal, nonanal, decanal, (E)-2-nonenal, and 1-octen-3-ol. Among them, 1-octen-3-ol and (E)-2-nonenal were the most contributing flavor compounds in the FG and MG groups, respectively, providing distinctive odor to goat meat.
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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: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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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