Domestic Animal Models for Biomedical Research

Bähr, Andrea; Wolf, Eckhard

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0531.2012.02056.x

Cited by 77 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 206 publications

(306 reference statements)

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“…Maternal mass can increase by more than 50% during gestation. The Guinea pig is a widely used model to study human physiology; and results regarding various facets of their reproductive biology have been used to assess broad questions that pertain to other mammal species (Bahr & Wolf, 2012). For instance, the effects of prenatal stress on reproductive parameters, including sexual steroid concentrations have been recently examined in Guinea pigs (Schöpper et al, 2012a, b).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of a brief stress on progesterone plasma levels in pregnant and non-pregnant guinea pigs

Michel

Bonnet

2014

Animal Biol

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International audienceSteroid hormones are essential for vertebrate reproduction. They are involved in the regulation of major female reproductive events like ovulation, embryo implantation, or gestation. For instance, progesterone promotes foeto-maternal exchanges whereas glucocorticoids stimulate the mobilization of the required energy resources. However, glucocorticoids are key effectors of the stress response; chronic elevations of these hormones can exert negative effects on reproduction. Yet, little is known about the effects of a brief exposure to a stressor on the respective plasma concentrations of sex steroids and glucocorticoids, notably during pregnancy. We examined the impact of a brief stress (handling + 1.5 hours in a bag) on progesterone and cortisol plasma concentrations in pregnant and non-pregnant female guinea pigs. Analyses revealed that: 1) pregnant females exhibited higher baseline progesterone and cortisol concentrations compared to non-pregnant females, as expected; 2) cortisol concentrations increased rapidly following manipulation, revealing a typical hormonal stress response; and, 3) progesterone concentrations decreased on average by 50.9% following the brief stress period, both in pregnant and non-pregnant individuals. These experimental results show for the first time a drastic and rapid impact on progesterone concentration caused by a brief stress

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Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of a brief stress on progesterone plasma levels in pregnant and non-pregnant guinea pigs

Michel

Bonnet

2014

Animal Biol

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“…In addition, as dogs are still readily used as experimental animals in a wide array of biomedical applications [16], the discovery of a new sense would have far reaching consequences also in this sector.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dogs are sensitive to small variations of the Earth’s magnetic field

et al. 2013

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IntroductionSeveral mammalian species spontaneously align their body axis with respect to the Earth’s magnetic field (MF) lines in diverse behavioral contexts. Magnetic alignment is a suitable paradigm to scan for the occurrence of magnetosensitivity across animal taxa with the heuristic potential to contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of magnetoreception and identify further functions of magnetosensation apart from navigation. With this in mind we searched for signs of magnetic alignment in dogs. We measured the direction of the body axis in 70 dogs of 37 breeds during defecation (1,893 observations) and urination (5,582 observations) over a two-year period. After complete sampling, we sorted the data according to the geomagnetic conditions prevailing during the respective sampling periods. Relative declination and intensity changes of the MF during the respective dog walks were calculated from daily magnetograms. Directional preferences of dogs under different MF conditions were analyzed and tested by means of circular statistics.ResultsDogs preferred to excrete with the body being aligned along the North–South axis under calm MF conditions. This directional behavior was abolished under unstable MF. The best predictor of the behavioral switch was the rate of change in declination, i.e., polar orientation of the MF.ConclusionsIt is for the first time that (a) magnetic sensitivity was proved in dogs, (b) a measurable, predictable behavioral reaction upon natural MF fluctuations could be unambiguously proven in a mammal, and (c) high sensitivity to small changes in polarity, rather than in intensity, of MF was identified as biologically meaningful. Our findings open new horizons in magnetoreception research. Since the MF is calm in only about 20% of the daylight period, our findings might provide an explanation why many magnetoreception experiments were hardly replicable and why directional values of records in diverse observations are frequently compromised by scatter.

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“…This includes many species, such as cows and pigs, that have significant economic value and often detailed pedigree information [101,102]. For example, Braunschweigh et al has demonstrated that male pigs (boars) fed a diet to induce hypermethylation have F2 offspring with decreased adiposity [103].…”

Section: Transgenerational Effects On Metabolic Disease In Model Omentioning

confidence: 99%

Transgenerational inheritance of metabolic disease

Stegemann

Buchner

2015

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology

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Metabolic disease encompasses several disorders including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Recently, the incidence of metabolic disease has drastically increased, driven primarily by a worldwide obesity epidemic. Transgenerational inheritance remains controversial, but has been proposed to contribute to human metabolic disease risk based on a growing number of proof-of-principle studies in model organisms ranging from C. elegans to M. musculus to S. scrofa. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that heritable risk is epigenetically transmitted from parent to offspring over multiple generations in the absence of a continued exposure to the triggering stimuli. A diverse assortment of initial triggers can induce transgenerational inheritance including high-fat or high-sugar diets, low-protein diets, various toxins, and ancestral genetic variants. Although the mechanistic basis underlying the transgenerational inheritance of disease risk remains largely unknown, putative molecules mediating transmission include small RNAs, histone modifications, and DNA methylation. Due to the considerable impact of metabolic disease on human health, it is critical to better understand the role of transgenerational inheritance of metabolic disease risk to open new avenues for therapeutic intervention and improve upon the current methods for clinical diagnoses and treatment.

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Domestic Animal Models for Biomedical Research

Cited by 77 publications

References 206 publications

Effect of a brief stress on progesterone plasma levels in pregnant and non-pregnant guinea pigs

Effect of a brief stress on progesterone plasma levels in pregnant and non-pregnant guinea pigs

Dogs are sensitive to small variations of the Earth’s magnetic field

Transgenerational inheritance of metabolic disease

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