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Munk A, Philippi V, Buchecker V, Bankstahl M, Glasenapp A, Blutke A, Michelakaki E, Talbot SR, Huwyler J, Jirkof P, Kopaczka M, Merhof D, Palme R, Potschka H. Refining pain management in mice by comparing multimodal analgesia and NSAID monotherapy for neurosurgical procedures. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18691. [PMID: 39134625 PMCID: PMC11319454 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69075-2] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
While neurosurgical interventions are frequently used in laboratory mice, refinement efforts to optimize analgesic management based on multimodal approaches appear to be rather limited. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and tolerability of combinations of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug carprofen, a sustained-release formulation of the opioid buprenorphine, and the local anesthetic bupivacaine with carprofen monotherapy. Female and male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to isoflurane anesthesia and an intracranial electrode implant procedure. Given the multidimensional nature of postsurgical pain and distress, various physiological, behavioral, and biochemical parameters were applied for their assessment. The analysis revealed alterations in Neuro scores, home cage locomotion, body weight, nest building, mouse grimace scales, and fecal corticosterone metabolites. A composite measure scheme allowed the allocation of individual mice to severity classes. The comparison between groups failed to indicate the superiority of multimodal regimens over high-dose NSAID monotherapy. In conclusion, our findings confirmed the informative value of various parameters for assessment of pain and distress following neurosurgical procedures in mice. While all drug regimens were well tolerated in control mice, our data suggest that the total drug load should be carefully considered for perioperative management. Future studies would be of interest to assess potential synergies of drug combinations with lower doses of carprofen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Munk
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Koeniginstr. 16, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Vanessa Philippi
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Koeniginstr. 16, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Buchecker
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Koeniginstr. 16, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Marion Bankstahl
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Aylina Glasenapp
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Andreas Blutke
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Effrosyni Michelakaki
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Steven Roger Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Jörg Huwyler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Office for Animal Welfare and 3R, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcin Kopaczka
- Department of Electrical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Dorit Merhof
- Department of Informatics and Data Science, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heidrun Potschka
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Koeniginstr. 16, 80539, Munich, Germany.
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McCoy ES, Park SK, Patel RP, Ryan DF, Mullen ZJ, Nesbitt JJ, Lopez JE, Taylor-Blake B, Vanden KA, Krantz JL, Hu W, Garris RL, Snyder MG, Lima LV, Sotocinal SG, Austin JS, Kashlan AD, Shah S, Trocinski AK, Pudipeddi SS, Major RM, Bazick HO, Klein MR, Mogil JS, Wu G, Zylka MJ. Development of PainFace software to simplify, standardize, and scale up mouse grimace analyses. Pain 2024; 165:1793-1805. [PMID: 39024163 PMCID: PMC11287051 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003187] [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: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Facial grimacing is used to quantify spontaneous pain in mice and other mammals, but scoring relies on humans with different levels of proficiency. Here, we developed a cloud-based software platform called PainFace ( http://painface.net ) that uses machine learning to detect 4 facial action units of the mouse grimace scale (orbitals, nose, ears, whiskers) and score facial grimaces of black-coated C57BL/6 male and female mice on a 0 to 8 scale. Platform accuracy was validated in 2 different laboratories, with 3 conditions that evoke grimacing-laparotomy surgery, bilateral hindpaw injection of carrageenan, and intraplantar injection of formalin. PainFace can generate up to 1 grimace score per second from a standard 30 frames/s video, making it possible to quantify facial grimacing over time, and operates at a speed that scales with computing power. By analyzing the frequency distribution of grimace scores, we found that mice spent 7x more time in a "high grimace" state following laparotomy surgery relative to sham surgery controls. Our study shows that PainFace reproducibly quantifies facial grimaces indicative of nonevoked spontaneous pain and enables laboratories to standardize and scale-up facial grimace analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. McCoy
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sang Kyoon Park
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Rahul P. Patel
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dan F. Ryan
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | | | - Josh E. Lopez
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bonnie Taylor-Blake
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kelly A. Vanden
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - James L. Krantz
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Wenxin Hu
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rosanna L. Garris
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Magdalyn G. Snyder
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lucas V. Lima
- Departments of Psychology and Anesthesia, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Susana G. Sotocinal
- Departments of Psychology and Anesthesia, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Sebastien Austin
- Departments of Psychology and Anesthesia, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Adam D. Kashlan
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sanya Shah
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Abigail K. Trocinski
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Samhitha S. Pudipeddi
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rami M. Major
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hannah O. Bazick
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Morgan R. Klein
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Mogil
- Departments of Psychology and Anesthesia, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guorong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Department of Computer Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Mark J. Zylka
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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3
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Onuma K, Watanabe M, Sasaki N. The grimace scale: a useful tool for assessing pain in laboratory animals. Exp Anim 2024; 73:234-245. [PMID: 38382945 PMCID: PMC11254488 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.24-0010] [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] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Accurately and promptly assessing pain in experimental animals is extremely important to avoid unnecessary suffering of the animals and to enhance the reproducibility of experiments. This is a key concern for veterinarians, animal caretakers, and researchers from the perspectives of veterinary care and animal welfare. Various methods including ethology, immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and molecular biology are used for pain assessment. However, the grimace scale, which was developed by taking cues from interpreting pain through facial expressions of non-verbal infants, has become recognized as a very simple and practical method for objectively evaluating pain levels by scoring changes in an animal's expressions. This method, which was first implemented with mice approximately 10 years ago, is now being applied to various experimental animals and is widely used in research settings. This review focuses on the usability of the grimace scale from the "cage-side" perspective, aiming to make it a more user-friendly tool for those involved in animal experiments. Differences in facial expressions in response to pain in various animals, examples of applying the grimace scale, current automated analytical methods, and future prospects are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Onuma
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi-23, Towada, Aomori 034-0021, Japan
| | - Masaki Watanabe
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi-23, Towada, Aomori 034-0021, Japan
| | - Nobuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi-23, Towada, Aomori 034-0021, Japan
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4
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Schreiber T, Koopmann I, Brandstetter J, Talbot SR, Goldstein L, Hoffmann L, Schildt A, Joksch M, Krause B, Jaster R, Palme R, Zechner D, Vollmar B, Kumstel S. Evidence-Based Severity Assessment of Animal Models for Pancreatic Cancer. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1494. [PMID: 39062067 PMCID: PMC11275077 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal models are crucial to preclinical oncological research and drug development. Animal experiments must be performed in accordance with the 3R principles of replacement and reduction, if possible, and refinement where these procedures remain crucial. In addition, European Union legislations demand a continuous refinement approach, as well as pro- and retrospective severity assessment. In this study, an objective databased severity assessment was performed in murine models for pancreatic cancer induced by orthotopic, subcutaneous, or intravenous injection of Panc02 cells. Parameters such as body weight change, distress score, perianal temperature, mouse grimace scale, burrowing, nesting behavior, and the concentration of corticosterone in plasma and its metabolites in feces were monitored during tumor progression. The most important parameters were combined into a score and mapped against a reference data set by the Relative Severity Assessment procedure (RELSA) to obtain the maximum achieved severity for each animal (RELSAmax). This scoring revealed a significantly higher RELSAmax for the orthotopic model than for the subcutaneous and intravenous models. However, compared to animal models such as pancreatitis and bile duct ligation, the pancreatic cancer models are shown to be less severe. Data-based animal welfare assessment proved to be a valuable tool for comparing the severity of differently induced cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Schreiber
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Ingo Koopmann
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Jakob Brandstetter
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Steven R. Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Preclinical Data Science, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Lea Goldstein
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Lisa Hoffmann
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Anna Schildt
- Core Facility Multimodal Small Animal Imaging, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany;
| | - Markus Joksch
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (M.J.); (B.K.)
| | - Bernd Krause
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (M.J.); (B.K.)
| | - Robert Jaster
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine II, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany;
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Dietmar Zechner
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Brigitte Vollmar
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
| | - Simone Kumstel
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (T.S.); (I.K.); (J.B.); (L.G.); (L.H.); (D.Z.); (B.V.)
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5
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Kucukdereli H, Amsalem O, Pottala T, Lim M, Potgieter L, Hasbrouck A, Lutas A, Andermann ML. Repeated stress triggers seeking of a starvation-like state in anxiety-prone female mice. Neuron 2024; 112:2130-2141.e7. [PMID: 38642553 PMCID: PMC11287784 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Elevated anxiety often precedes anorexia nervosa and persists after weight restoration. Patients with anorexia nervosa often describe self-starvation as pleasant, potentially because food restriction can be anxiolytic. Here, we tested whether repeated stress can cause animals to prefer a starvation-like state. We developed a virtual reality place preference paradigm in which head-fixed mice can voluntarily seek a starvation-like state induced by optogenetic stimulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. Prior to stress exposure, males but not females showed a mild aversion to AgRP stimulation. Strikingly, following multiple days of stress, a subset of females developed a strong preference for AgRP stimulation that was predicted by high baseline anxiety. Such stress-induced changes in preference were reflected in changes in facial expressions during AgRP stimulation. Our study suggests that stress may cause females predisposed to anxiety to seek a starvation state and provides a powerful experimental framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Kucukdereli
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Oren Amsalem
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Trent Pottala
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Michelle Lim
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leilani Potgieter
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Amanda Hasbrouck
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mark L Andermann
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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6
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Seyed-Razavi Y, Kenyon BM, Qiu F, Harris DL, Hamrah P. A novel animal model of neuropathic corneal pain-the ciliary nerve constriction model. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1265708. [PMID: 38144209 PMCID: PMC10749205 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1265708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neuropathic pain arises as a result of peripheral nerve injury or altered pain processing within the central nervous system. When this phenomenon affects the cornea, it is referred to as neuropathic corneal pain (NCP), resulting in pain, hyperalgesia, burning, and photoallodynia, severely affecting patients' quality of life. To date there is no suitable animal model for the study of NCP. Herein, we developed an NCP model by constriction of the long ciliary nerves innervating the eye. Methods Mice underwent ciliary nerve constriction (CNC) or sham procedures. Safety was determined by corneal fluorescein staining to assess ocular surface damage, whereas Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometry and confocal microscopy assessed the function and structure of corneal nerves, respectively. Efficacy was assessed by paw wipe responses within 30 seconds of applying hyperosmolar (5M) saline at Days 3, 7, 10, and 14 post-constriction. Additionally, behavior was assessed in an open field test (OFT) at Days 7, 14, and 21. Results CNC resulted in significantly increased response to hyperosmolar saline between groups (p < 0.0001), demonstrating hyperalgesia and induction of neuropathic pain. Further, animals that underwent CNC had increased anxiety-like behavior in an open field test compared to controls at the 14- and 21-Day time-points (p < 0.05). In contrast, CNC did not result in increased corneal fluorescein staining or decreased sensation as compared to sham controls (p > 0.05). Additionally, confocal microscopy of corneal whole-mounts revealed that constriction resulted in only a slight reduction in corneal nerve density (p < 0.05), compared to naïve and sham groups. Discussion The CNC model induces a pure NCP phenotype and may be a useful model for the study of NCP, recapitulating features of NCP, including hyperalgesia in the absence of ocular surface damage, and anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashar Seyed-Razavi
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brendan M. Kenyon
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Fangfang Qiu
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Deshea L. Harris
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Pedram Hamrah
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
- Departments of Neuroscience and Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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7
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de C Williams AC. Pain: Behavioural expression and response in an evolutionary framework. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:429-437. [PMID: 38022798 PMCID: PMC10656790 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad038] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
An evolutionary perspective offers insights into the major public health problem of chronic (persistent) pain; behaviours associated with it perpetuate both pain and disability. Pain is motivating, and pain-related behaviours promote recovery by immediate active or passive defence; subsequent protection of wounds; suppression of competing responses; energy conservation; vigilance to threat; and learned avoidance of associated cues. When these persist beyond healing, as in chronic pain, they are disabling. In mammals, facial and bodily expression of pain is visible and identifiable by others, while social context, including conspecifics' responses, modulate pain. Studies of responses to pain emphasize onlooker empathy, but people with chronic pain report feeling disbelieved and stigmatized. Observers frequently discount others' pain, best understood in terms of cheater detection-alertness to free riders that underpins the capacity for prosocial behaviours. These dynamics occur both in everyday life and in clinical encounters, providing an account of the adaptiveness of pain-related behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C de C Williams
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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8
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Domínguez-Oliva A, Olmos-Hernández A, Hernández-Ávalos I, Lecona-Butrón H, Mora-Medina P, Mota-Rojas D. Rat Grimace Scale as a Method to Evaluate Animal Welfare, Nociception, and Quality of the Euthanasia Method of Wistar Rats. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3161. [PMID: 37893885 PMCID: PMC10603718 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203161] [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: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Refinement of experimental procedures in animal research has the objective of preventing and minimizing pain/distress in animals, including the euthanasia period. This study aimed to evaluate pain associated with six methods of euthanasia in Wistar rats (injectable, inhalational, and physical), by applying the Rat Grimace Scale (RGS), comparing the scores, and determining the method with the highest score that might indicate pain for laboratory rodents. Sixty adult male and female Wistar rats were used and assigned to six treatments: pentobarbital, CO2, decapitation, isoflurane, ketamine + xylazine, and ketamine + CO2. Video recording to assess the RGS scores was performed in four events: basal: 24 h before the procedure; Ti1: three minutes before the procedure; Ti2: during the application of the euthanasia method; and Ti3: immediately after the application until LORR. The main findings of this study showed that, during Ti2, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine had the highest scores (0.6 ± 0.26 and 0.6 ± 0.16, respectively) (p < 0.0001), while at Ti3, CO2 (0.9 ± 0.18) and isoflurane (1.2 ± 0.20) recorded the highest scores (p < 0.0001). According to the present results, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine elicited short-term acute pain, possibly due to tissue damage caused by both methods (injection and guillotine). In contrast, isoflurane's RGS scores recorded during Ti3 might be associated with nociception/pain due to the pungency of the drug or to the pharmacological muscle relaxant effect of isoflurane. Further research is needed to establish a comprehensive study of pain during euthanasia, where RGS could be used minding the limitations that anesthetics might have on facial expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Master in Science Program “Maestría en Ciencias Agropecuarias”, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Ismael Hernández-Ávalos
- Clinical Pharmacology and Veterinary Anesthesia, Biological Sciences Department, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Mexico
| | - Hugo Lecona-Butrón
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
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Pérez-Martín E, Coto-Vilcapoma A, Castilla-Silgado J, Rodríguez-Cañón M, Prado C, Álvarez G, Álvarez-Vega MA, Fernández-García B, Menéndez-González M, Tomás-Zapico C. Refining Stereotaxic Neurosurgery Techniques and Welfare Assessment for Long-Term Intracerebroventricular Device Implantation in Rodents. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2627. [PMID: 37627418 PMCID: PMC10452028 DOI: 10.3390/ani13162627] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stereotaxic surgeries enable precise access to specific brain regions, being of particular interest for chronic intracerebroventricular drug delivery. However, the challenge of long-term studies at this level is to allow the implantation of drug storage devices and their correct intrathecal connection while guaranteeing animal welfare during the entire study period. In this study, we propose an optimized method for safe intrathecal device implantation, focusing on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedures, following the 3Rs principle and animal welfare regulations. Our optimized protocol introduces three main refinements. Firstly, we modify the dimensions of the implantable devices, notably diminishing the device-to-mouse weight ratio. Secondly, we use a combination of cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and UV light-curing resin, which decreases surgery time, improves healing, and notably minimizes cannula detachment or adverse effects. Thirdly, we develop a customized welfare assessment scoresheet to accurately monitor animal well-being during long-term implantations. Taken together, these refinements positively impacted animal welfare by minimizing the negative effects on body weight, surgery-related complications, and anxiety-like behaviors. Overall, the proposed refinements have the potential to reduce animal use, enhance experimental data quality, and improve reproducibility. Additionally, these improvements can be extended to other neurosurgical techniques, thereby advancing neuroscience research, and benefiting the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Pérez-Martín
- Neuroscience Innovative Technologies S.L., Neurostech, 33428 Llanera, Spain (C.P.)
| | - Almudena Coto-Vilcapoma
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Juan Castilla-Silgado
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | | | - Catuxa Prado
- Neuroscience Innovative Technologies S.L., Neurostech, 33428 Llanera, Spain (C.P.)
| | - Gabriel Álvarez
- Neuroscience Innovative Technologies S.L., Neurostech, 33428 Llanera, Spain (C.P.)
| | - Marco Antonio Álvarez-Vega
- Departamento de Cirugía, Área de Cirugía, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Benjamín Fernández-García
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Área de Anatomía, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Manuel Menéndez-González
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Cristina Tomás-Zapico
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
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Peppermüller PP, Gehring J, Zentrich E, Bleich A, Häger C, Buettner M. Grimace scale assessment during Citrobacter rodentium inflammation and colitis development in laboratory mice. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1173446. [PMID: 37342621 PMCID: PMC10277495 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1173446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bacterial infections and chronic intestinal inflammations triggered by genetic susceptibility, environment or an imbalance in the intestinal microbiome are usually long-lasting and painful diseases in which the development and maintenance of these various intestinal inflammations is not yet fully understood, research is still needed. This still requires the use of animal models and is subject to the refinement principle of the 3Rs, to minimize suffering or pain perceived by the animals. With regard to this, the present study aimed at the recognition of pain using the mouse grimace scale (MGS) during chronic intestinal colitis due to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment or after infection with Citrobacter rodentium. Methods In this study 56 animals were included which were divided into 2 experimental groups: 1. chronic intestinal inflammation (n = 9) and 2. acute intestinal inflammation (with (n = 23) and without (n = 24) C. rodentium infection). Before the induction of intestinal inflammation in one of the animal models, mice underwent an abdominal surgery and the live MGS from the cage side and a clinical score were assessed before (bsl) and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48 hours. Results The highest clinical score as well as the highest live MGS was detected 2 hours after surgery and almost no sign of pain or severity were detected after 24 and 48 hours. Eight weeks after abdominal surgery B6-Il4/Il10-/- mice were treated with DSS to trigger chronic intestinal colitis. During the acute phase as well as the chronic phase of the experiment, the live MGS and a clinical score were evaluated. The clinical score increased after DSS administration due to weight loss of the animals but no change of the live MGS was observed. In the second C57BL/6J mouse model, after infection with C. rodentium the clinical score increased but again, no increased score values in the live MGS was detectable. Discussion In conclusion, the live MGS detected post-operative pain, but indicated no pain during DSS-induced colitis or C. rodentium infection. In contrast, clinical scoring and here especially the weight loss revealed a decreased wellbeing due to surgery and intestinal inflammation.
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Kucukdereli H, Amsalem O, Pottala T, Lim M, Potgieter L, Hasbrouck A, Lutas A, Andermann ML. Chronic stress triggers seeking of a starvation-like state in anxiety-prone female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.16.541013. [PMID: 37292650 PMCID: PMC10245771 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.16.541013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Elevated anxiety often precedes anorexia nervosa and persists after weight restoration. Patients with anorexia nervosa often describe hunger as pleasant, potentially because food restriction can be anxiolytic. Here, we tested whether chronic stress can cause animals to prefer a starvation-like state. We developed a virtual reality place preference paradigm in which head-fixed mice can voluntarily seek a starvation-like state induced by optogenetic stimulation of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. Prior to stress induction, male but not female mice showed mild aversion to AgRP stimulation. Strikingly, following chronic stress, a subset of females developed a strong preference for AgRP stimulation that was predicted by high baseline anxiety. Such stress-induced changes in preference were reflected in changes in facial expressions during AgRP stimulation. Our study suggests that stress may cause females predisposed to anxiety to seek a starvation state, and provides a powerful experimental framework for investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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