Stress measurements in mice after transportation

Abstract

SummaryExperiments were performed using physiological measures and behavioural parameters to find the acclimatization period in mice to common scientific procedures. Corticosterone levels were significantly elevated in mice killed immediately after being moved to an experimental room (P<O.OS) but levels returned to the normal in less than 1 day, despite mice being exposed to additional stressors such as novel environment, new cages, new bedding material, separation from their cage mates, regrouping, isolation in individually housed mice and a new handler. Behaviours such as rearing, climbing, grooming, feeding and sexual, changed significantly immediately after transportation of mice but most of these behaviours stabilized relatively quickly. In spite of the corticosterone levels, our behavioural observations suggest that even 4 days were not enough to allow the mice to acclimatize fully.

Social and environmental enrichment has different effects on ethanol and sucrose consumption in mice

“…In each of these studies, rehousing ethanolexperienced rats in a social setting produced an increase in ethanol consumption; whereas the former studies were performed in ethanolnaive animals. From previous rodent research, we know that changes to housing conditions are stressful for rodents (Misslin, Herzog, Koch, & Ropartz, 1982;Tuli, Smith, & Morton, 1995), rodents in an isolated housing environment are more sensitive to stress than those in a social environment (Giralt & Armario, 1989), stress alters ethanol consumption (Cozzoli, Tanchuck-Nipper, Kaufman, Horowitz, & Finn, 2014;Meyer, Long, Fanselow, & Spigelman, 2013), ethanol experience alters ethanol reward value (Shimizu et al, 2015;McCusker & Bell, 1988), and ethanol consumption reduces the ability to cope with stress (Zhao, Weiss, & Zorrilla, 2007). Taken together, one could argue that for ethanol-naïve rats, the provision of social interactions provides greater rewarding benefits/stress relief than the biological effects obtained from ethanol consumption.…”

Guidance on the transport of laboratory animals

“…However, it is clear that transport is a significant stressor 3 that may have an impact on both animal welfare and on the scientific validity of any future studies involving the animals or their offspring (Claassen 1994, Reilly 1998). This includes all journeys and all species, from mice moving within a building to primates undergoing lengthy journeys by air (Wallace 1976, Malaga 1991, Tuli et al 1995. The physiological and behavioural response to stress affects a number of biological functions and systems.…”

“…For example, mice have been reported to acclimatize 24 to 48 h postarrival on the basis of immune function and plasma corticosterone levels (Landi 1982, Aguila et al 1988, Drozdowicz et al 1990). However, a study that monitored behavioural indicators of stress as well as corticosterone found that mice had not fully acclimatized 4 days after transport from one room to another (Tuli et al 1995).…”

Common husbandry-related variables in biomedical research with animals

“…In either situation the stress resulting from enforced restraint is augmented by the stress resulting from the transfer to an unfamiliar, usually fear-inducing test environment. For example, in rats and mice, even the moving of animals to a nearby room in the same building increases corticosteroid levels for several hours (Ursin & Murison 1986, Tuli et al 1995b. 'Wherever possible, every effort should be made to design in ways that bring the treatment to the animal, instead of the reverse.…”