Effects of Transfer from Breeding to Research Facility on the Welfare of Rats

Abstract

Simple SummaryThis study measured effects of transfer on body temperature, stress hormone levels, body weight, behavior and water and food intake in rats. Environmental temperature strongly affected body temperature of rats and needs to be controlled. Male rats need to habituate for at least one week, females for two weeks after transfer.AbstractTransfer from the breeding facility to a research facility is a stressful event for laboratory animals. Heat stress has been reported to constitute one of the major concerns during transport of animals. This study measured ambient and body temperature, corticosterone and glucose levels, body weight, behavior and water and food intake before, during and after transfer in Wistar rats. Decreased body weight, water and food intake were observed on the day of transfer in rats. Environmental temperature strongly affected body temperature of rats and needs to be controlled. Male rats need to habituate for at least one week, females for two weeks after transfer.

Response: Commentary: Supplier-dependent differences in intermittent voluntary alcohol intake and response to naltrexone in Wistar rats

“…The distance transported per se (Kalueff, 2016 ) is likely of less importance with regard to the animals used in Momeni et al ( 2015 ), considering that negligible effects were demonstrated in mice bred locally vs. shipped (Wahlsten et al, 2003 ). Moreover, the undisturbed acclimatization period of 2 weeks upon arrival is in line with recommendations for male rats (Arts et al, 2012 , 2014a , b ), also when transferred from normal to reversed light/dark cycle (Arts et al, 2016 ).…”

Commentary: Supplier-dependent differences in intermittent voluntary alcohol intake and response to naltrexone in Wistar rats

“…Notably, the Harlan Laboratories at Horst (Netherlands) are located ~1500 km from Uppsala, compared to a 900-km distance to Taconic Farms at Ejby (Denmark) and nearly a 1700-km distance to the Charles River in Sulzfeld (Germany). The impact of transportation on psychological and physiological parameters in Wistar rats has recently been recognized (Arts et al, 2012 , 2014a , b ), raising the possibility that robust differences in transportation duration (~1700 vs. ~1500 vs. ~900 km) and, most likely, mode, packaging and shipment procedures, between the three suppliers could also contribute to overt behavioral differences reported by Momeni et al ( 2015 ). Although usually this technical information is not described in-depth in neurobehavioral papers, the study of Momeni et al ( 2015 ) suggests the opposite, indicating that vendor-related influences may indeed be critical in behavioral assays.…”

Laboratory animal strain mobilities: handling with care for animal sentience and biosecurity

“…Consequentially, research has shown changes in the transported animals’ physiological parameters such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, body temperature and hormone levels (Arts et al, 2014 ; Rumpel et al, 2019 ), based on their recent research, go on to offer a general guide that: At least seven days of acclimatization is recommended following transport between sites and at least three days between buildings on the same site [22]. However, depending on the severity and duration of the stress experienced and the parameter to be investigated, the period of acclimatization may take several weeks to normalize, as observed for blood pressure (three weeks) [23], as well as corticosterone and immune parameters (three weeks) [24] in BALB/c mice.…”