A comparative study of mossy fiber distribution in the brain of the precocialAcomys cahirinusand of the altricialRattus norvegicus: Neuroanatomical bases and behavioral correlates

Abstract

Acomys cahirinus, the spiny mouse, is the only precocial murid. Given the relatively advanced state of neural maturation at birth, this species is therefore of interest for comparative studies of brain and behavioural development. Previous work on this species has indicated that (i) hippocampal thickness (relative to body weight) is greater in adult Acomys than in rats and mice; (ii) the hippocampus appears laminated at birth, unlike that of related altricial species; (iii) the degree of olfactory bulb maturation at birth is greater in Acomys than in gerbils or rats. In the study reported, the distribution of hippocampal mossy fibers of Acomys was compared with that of Rattus norvegicus, in order to extend our earlier findings. In addition, the implied involvement of hippocampal mossy fibers in olfaction suggests a relation to our studies of exploratory behaviour in this species.

Neonatal Hypoxia Ischaemia: Mechanisms, Models, and Therapeutic Challenges

“…Diffusion-weighted imaging detected a threshold in white matter loss below which all rabbit kits developed hypertonia, (Drobyshevsky et al, 2005, 2007a). Another promising model is that of the spiny mouse, a rodent which shows a similar level of brain development to a human neonate at birth (Brunjes, 1985, 1989, 1990; Gozzo et al, 1985; D’Udine and Alleva, 1988; Brunjes et al, 1989), which also shows varied motor deficits (Ireland et al, 2008, 2009, 2010) and neuroanatomical pathology (Hutton et al, 2009; O’Connell et al, 2013) following neonatal HI.…”

Developmental Differences in Neocortex Neurogenesis and Maturation Between the Altricial Dwarf Rabbit and Precocial Guinea Pig

“…In contrast, the offspring of mammalian species at the precocial end of the altricial-precocial continuum generally possess a well-developed coat and functional sensory organs, are capable of locomotion, require little warmth and food from the mother at birth, and are relatively independent at an early age (Dieterlen, 1963;Martin and Maclarnon, 1985;Derrickson, 1992;Werneburg et al, 2016). Previous data suggest that the pattern of prenatal neurogenesis and brain maturation differs between precocial and altricial species (Maslova and Ozirskaia, 1979;Dudine and Gozzo, 1983;Brunjes, 1984;Gozzo et al, 1985;Pintor et al, 1986;Tessitore and Brunjes, 1988;Tombol, 1988;Brunjes et al, 1989;Lossi et al, 2002;Charvet and Striedter, 2011). Specifically, the higher cognitive, sensory, and locomotor capabilities of precocial-in contrast to altricialspecies at birth might indicate higher prenatal neurogenesis and brain maturation (Glatzle et al, 2017).…”

Behavioural Effects of Near-Term Acute Fetal Hypoxia in a Small Precocial Animal, the Spiny Mouse <i>(Acomys cahirinus)</i>

“…The spiny mouse has a long gestation (38-39 days), small litter size (1-5, usually 3), and is developmentally more advanced at birth than the rat or mouse: the body is covered with fur, eyes and ears are functional, they show active olfaction, and they are capable of thermoregulation and coordinated locomotion [7] . The newborn spiny mouse brain is thought to be equivalent in maturation to the postnatal rat and term human infant brain, as determined by developmental similarities in the hippocampus, corpus callosum, and neocortex [11][12][13][14] . The developmental profiles of the lung [15] , liver [16] , small intestine and pancreatic enzymes [17] , and the completion of nephrogenesis in the kidney before term [18] indicate that, as for the human infant, development of the major organs is largely complete by the end of gestation.…”