Li J, Liang L, Huang H
… +5 more, Pan B, Pan Y, Liu Z, Pang Y, Feng X
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39711505
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To investigate the knowledge and attitudes of medical graduate students regarding laboratory animal welfare, a survey was conducted on 288 medical graduate students from the 2019 to 2023 cohorts through the final exam of...To investigate the knowledge and attitudes of medical graduate students regarding laboratory animal welfare, a survey was conducted on 288 medical graduate students from the 2019 to 2023 cohorts through the final exam of the compulsory course 'Medical Laboratory Animal Science.' The survey included both closed and open-ended questions. We calculated the awareness rate from the cumulative student score/maximum score based on the questions and scoring rubrics. We found that medical graduate students showed relatively low awareness of laboratory animal welfare and limited understanding of related knowledge. There were shortcomings in theoretical knowledge and practical experience related to laboratory animals' welfare and ethical aspects of laboratory animal care and use. Students in basic medical disciplines demonstrated slightly better awareness of laboratory animal welfare than those in other disciplines. In addition, female students exhibited a higher awareness of laboratory animal welfare than male students. In recent years, there has been a gradual increase in the awareness of the importance of laboratory animal welfare among medical graduate students, but a decrease in awareness was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, a need exists for strengthening education on laboratory animal welfare in medical schools to enhance students' awareness. It is suggested that school-specific expectations with respect to the replacement, reduction, and refinement principles be established to balance the needs of medical research and laboratory animal welfare, as a way to ensure the ethical considerations and the smooth progress of medical research are both met.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39711504
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Disinfectant application to gloved hands before handling SPF mice is standard practice to minimize transmission of pathogens and microbial contamination between cages. The risk of contamination with murine pathogens on g...Disinfectant application to gloved hands before handling SPF mice is standard practice to minimize transmission of pathogens and microbial contamination between cages. The risk of contamination with murine pathogens on gloves as well as the efficacy of disinfectant application for this step is largely unknown. This study aimed to determine if murine norovirus (MNV), Helicobacter spp., and Rodentibacter spp. are detectable on gloved hands and, if they are, to evaluate how effective the application of a hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant (Rescue) or 70% ethanol is in reducing the transfer of these pathogens while handling multiple cages of mice. Mice with natural infections of these pathogens were handled without the application of any disinfectant and the gloves were swabbed for PCR testing. All pathogens were detected via PCR with Helicobacter spp. the most frequently transferred in 83% of the cages handled. The mice were then divided into 4 treatment groups based on the product applied to gloves before handling: Rescue, 70% ethanol, sterile water, and no product. Mice in each cage were briefly handled, and the gloves were swabbed with ATP swabs after each cage and swabs for PCR testing after handling 4 and 9 cages, consecutively. All pathogens were detected via PCR in all treatment groups, and neither Rescue nor 70% ethanol was superior to water or no product in reducing contamination. Rescue and 70% ethanol were effective in maintaining lower levels of organic microbial contamination than water and no product for consecutive handling of up to 3 and 4 cages of mice, respectively. This study indicates that exposure to MNV, Helicobacter spp., and Rodentibacter spp. from handling mice is a risk and the application of Rescue or 70% ethanol is not completely effective in eliminating transfer of these pathogens.
Guy AR, Klores M, Prestia K
… +2 more, Raymond M, Rasmussen S
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2025 Jan · PMID 39242184
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Soft-pelleted, high-fat diets (HFD) are greasy and crumble easily leading to food wastage and hair coat grease accumulation when mice are fed using commercially available feeders. The ideal HFD feeder design should reduc...Soft-pelleted, high-fat diets (HFD) are greasy and crumble easily leading to food wastage and hair coat grease accumulation when mice are fed using commercially available feeders. The ideal HFD feeder design should reduce food wastage, facilitate mouse weight gain, and minimize variables such as hair coat grease accumulation that have the potential to alter scratching behaviors. Our study compared the feeding efficiency of 2 commercially available feeders (feeders A and E) to 4 novel feeder designs (feeders B, C, D, and F). Novel feeders had alterations in feeding aperture size, feeding surface area, feeder configuration, and level of food presentation. Male C57BL/6NCrl mice (n = 120; 4/cage) were randomly assigned to cages containing one of the 6 feeder types and were fed HFD for 12 wk. Feeders and cage bottoms were weighed before use and then weekly at the time of cage change. Mice were weighed before starting the HFD and then biweekly. Scratching behavior was video recorded at 0, 4, 8, and 12 wk. Hair coat grease accumulation was visually scored biweekly. Feeder A use was associated with the highest feed cost due to HFD wastage ($36.98 ± 1.54/cage/wk). Mice fed using Feeder A had the highest average weight gain (23.75 ± 0.8 g, P < 0.005). However, mice also had significantly higher hair coat grease accumulation scores (P < 0.05) and significantly increased scratching frequency at 4 wk (P < 0.05) when compared with mice fed using other feeder types. Novel feeder designs utilized 10 to 21 times less HFD dispensed when compared to feeder A. Mice fed using novel feeders also displayed improved welfare, as evidenced by low hair coat grease accumulation scores, and no significant differences in scratching frequency when compared with baseline behavior.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39242175
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Peromyscus species have been used in research for decades, yet there are no specific reports of mite infestations in the laboratory setting despite many reports of various mite species found in wild Peromyscus. This stud...Peromyscus species have been used in research for decades, yet there are no specific reports of mite infestations in the laboratory setting despite many reports of various mite species found in wild Peromyscus. This study documents P. californicus infestation with Radfordia lemnina in an academic research setting. During the colony quarantine period, deer mice tested positive on a general mite PCR but negative on all species-specific mite PCR assays. Tape tests were performed on a subset of cages, and 21% were positive for adult mites or viable eggs. Mites were sent for sequencing and identified as R. lemnina, for which the natural host is Microtus pennsylvanicus. The entire colony was treated with selamectin, applied topically to the nape of the neck, and repeated one month later. All deer mice were successfully treated using a novel method of restraint, and no gross adverse reactions to selamectin treatment were noted. Tape tests were performed weekly to biweekly on a subset of deer mice, and PCR was used to confirm negative tape test results. PCR was positive at 14 wk posttreatment, and tape tests were intermittently positive for egg casings for 27 wk, indicating continued presence of genetic material but not necessarily an active infection. Weaned offspring were tape test and/or PCR negative at 12 and 21 wk posttreatment, providing further support for successful treatment. At 31 wk, 2 rounds of tape tests and PCR were both negative. This report documents a safe and effective treatment method for mites in P. californicus.
Tien K, Franco B, Alamaw ED
… +4 more, Jampachairsi K, Casey K, Huss M, Pacharinsak C
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39237287
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Medetomidine/vatinoxan (Zenalpha®) is a novel anesthetic combination used as a sedative and analgesic in dogs. Vatinoxan minimizes adverse cardiopulmonary effects associated with medetomidine administration while preserv...Medetomidine/vatinoxan (Zenalpha®) is a novel anesthetic combination used as a sedative and analgesic in dogs. Vatinoxan minimizes adverse cardiopulmonary effects associated with medetomidine administration while preserving sedation and analgesia. In this study, we evaluated the clinical safety and efficacy of 3 dosage combinations of Zenalpha with ketamine and buprenorphine extended release (ER) as compared with xylazine with ketamine and buprenorphine-ER for anesthesia of C57BL/6J mice. We hypothesized that anesthesia with 0.5 mg/kg of Zenalpha would more reliably provide a surgical anesthetic plane, lower mortality, and fewer adverse physiologic effects as compared with anesthesia with 8 mg/kg of xylazine. Ten-week-old male and female C57BL/6J mice were randomly administered 1 of 4 anesthetic cocktails subcutaneously: ketamine (80 mg/kg) and buprenorphine-ER (0.5 mg/kg) with 1) xylazine (8 mg/kg; XKB); 2) Zenalpha (0.25 mg/kg; ZKB/0.25); 3) Zenalpha (0.5 mg/kg; ZKB/0.5); or 4) Zenalpha (1.0 mg/kg; ZKB/1.0). Following drug administration, we assessed the anesthesia induction time by measuring the time to loss of righting reflex and loss of paw withdrawal reflex (PWR). Upon reaching a loss of righting reflex, physiologic parameters including heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, indirect mean arterial blood pressure, body temperature, jaw tone, and skin color were monitored every 5 min. Thirty minutes after anesthetic drug administration (TA), atipamezole (1 mg/kg SC) was administered. Recovery time was determined through time until return of PWR, righting reflex, and ambulation. Mice were monitored for 3 d postanesthesia. Results included: 1) ZKB anesthesia caused loss of PWR in a dose-dependent manner; 2) physiologic parameters were similar between XKB and ZKB mice by TA in 100% O2; 3) ZKB groups took longer to recover and had a 20% to 30% mortality rate in the mid-to-high dosage groups. We conclude that anesthesia with 0.5 mg/kg of Zenalpha more reliably produced a surgical anesthetic plane but also led to decreased mean arterial pressure and increased mortality as compared with anesthesia with 8 mg/kg of xylazine. We recommend using Zenalpha (0.25 to 1.0 mg/kg) with 80 mg/kg ketamine and 0.5 mg/kg buprenorphine-ER to provide general anesthesia in C57BL/6 mice, along with supplemental 100% oxygen and atipamezole.
Ozawa SM, Pierce KV, Thomson A
… +5 more, Moiseiwitsch NA, Stephens J, LeGrand J, Brown AC, Mochizuki H
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39231618
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Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a cardiac-specific biomarker, used for the detection of myocardial injury. While rabbits develop naturally occurring cardiovascular disease, they are also an animal model for human disease; t...Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a cardiac-specific biomarker, used for the detection of myocardial injury. While rabbits develop naturally occurring cardiovascular disease, they are also an animal model for human disease; thus, rapid detection of cTnI has implications for both veterinary and human medicine. The objective of this study was to validate and establish a reference interval for a point-of-care (POC) cTnI assay in New Zealand White rabbits. In the first portion of the study, rabbit cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues were used to create homogenates, serially diluted with saline or rabbit whole blood, and run by repeated analysis on the POC assay. In the second portion of the study, a reference interval of peripheral whole blood cTnI was determined by robust methods from 49 New Zealand White rabbits. The least diluted cardiac muscle homogenates produced detectable cTnI (mean 23.12 ± 3.557 ng/mL), while skeletal muscle homogenates produced low to undetectable cTnI. The CV ranged from 0.00% to 32.51% for cTnI of diluted cardiac muscle homogenates. Rabbit cardiac homogenate diluted in blood had a linear relationship to cTnI concentration (Y = 0.2254 × X + 0.5396, R2 = 0.975). The reference interval for cTnI in this population was less than 0.04 ng/mL. This POC assay may be useful when rapid detection of cTnI is needed and differentiation between normal and elevated values is required. Given the high CV, this assay may not be appropriate for cases that require high sensitivity or detection of low concentrations of cTnI.
Chiang A, Haine SSS, Goldring R
… +5 more, Jungwirth A, Siddiqui M, Wilkinson G, Manica A, Riley RJ
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Sep · PMID 39223031
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A variety of fish species have proven instrumental in the investigation of evolution, behavior, ecology, and physiology, among many other fields. Many model systems (e.g., zebrafish, guppies, and three-spined stickleback...A variety of fish species have proven instrumental in the investigation of evolution, behavior, ecology, and physiology, among many other fields. Many model systems (e.g., zebrafish, guppies, and three-spined sticklebacks) have been maintained by institutions and have had protocols written with respect to their husbandry. Here we present the protocols we have developed to maintain and breed a variety of catfish species, which are native to the tropical Americas. species are excellent systems for investigating behavior, ecology, and other topics, and our husbandry protocols would be suitable for nearly every species in the genus. In addition, these protocols are appropriate for a variety of softwater Amazonian species, and we present options for a variety of housing and husbandry conditions. On the whole, we suggest that, in a scientific laboratory setting, the use of remineralized reverse osmosis water is most appropriate and that in context, a single measure, total dissolved solids, can be used to monitor the water chemistry for water introduced to fish enclosures.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39223009
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Since 2015, it has become progressively more difficult for programs to recruit residents in laboratory animal medicine (LAM). Veterinarians are a necessary part of animal research, and having a shortage in veterinarians...Since 2015, it has become progressively more difficult for programs to recruit residents in laboratory animal medicine (LAM). Veterinarians are a necessary part of animal research, and having a shortage in veterinarians trained to work in this field has the potential to negatively impact research progress as well as animal welfare. With a goal to increase recruitment, we performed this study to better understand the barriers and facilitators that veterinarians experience when navigating the decision to pursue postdoctoral training in LAM. To do this, we recruited first-year LAM residents to participate in semistructured interviews, and performed thematic analysis on their responses. Key barriers included participants' awareness of perceived drawbacks of the field, inaccessibility of information about opportunities within the field, and misinformation about animal research both within the veterinary field and society at large. Key facilitators included participants' awareness of perceived benefits of the field, relationships with professionals involved in laboratory animal science, and formative predoctoral clinical experiences. Overall, we found evidence that information flow is particularly important in recruitment, suggesting that future recruitment strategies may want to target improved communication about LAM and animal research in general.
Barton NE, Ref JE, Cook KE
… +10 more, Baldwin AL, Daugherty SL, Moukabary T, Grijalva A, Kazui S, Mostafizi P, Davis-Gorman GF, Lancaster JJ, Koevary JW, Goldman S
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39191492
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, unexpected activity patterns emerged among Yucatan mini-swine models for heart failure and atrial fibrillation. As part of our laboratory research, we tracked activity data by FitBark™ colla...During the COVID-19 pandemic, unexpected activity patterns emerged among Yucatan mini-swine models for heart failure and atrial fibrillation. As part of our laboratory research, we tracked activity data by FitBark™ collars that the Yucatan mini-swine wore. Previously, staff engaged with the swine daily, such as applying lotion and conducting 6-min treadmill runs. However, pandemic restrictions reduced interaction to 1 or 2 times a week, often for less than 10 min each session. Contrary to expectations, there was a significant increase in the swine's activity levels during these minimal interaction periods. After cleaning, moisturizing, weighing, and FitBark data collection, staff engaged with the swine through feeding and play. Three time frames were analyzed: prepandemic, pandemic, and reentry. Prepandemic and reentry periods involved daily 15-min interactions with 2 staff members per swine to maintain cleanliness and health. During the pandemic, interaction was reduced to 1 or 2 times weekly. The hours between 1000 and 1400 were designated as 'passive activity', representing the swines' isolated behavior, unaffected by staff interaction. The chronic heart failure swine (n = 3) had an average passive activity area under the curve prepandemic value of 47.23 ± 2.52 compared with pandemic 57.09 ± 2.90, pandemic 57.09 ± 2.90 compared with reentry 50.44 ± 1.61, and prepandemic compared with reentry. The atrial fibrillation swine (n = 3) had an average passive activity area under the curve minimal interaction (mimicking pandemic) value of 59.27 ± 6.67 compared with interaction (mimicking prepandemic or reentry) 37.63 ± 1.74. The heightened activity levels during minimal interaction suggest physiologic and psychologic changes in the animals due to reduced socialization. This highlights the importance of enrichment and interaction in research animals and underscores the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research outcomes. These findings could also shed light on the effects of the pandemic on human behavior.
Kleymann AM, Zawadzki NA, Fong DL
… +6 more, Fink MK, Habenicht LM, Leszczynski JK, Anderson SM, Schurr MJ, Manuel CA
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39181706
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A common concern in preclinical cancer research is the introduction of Corynebacterium bovis into immunodeficient mouse colonies through cancer cell lines. C. bovis is a known contaminant of patient-derived xenograft tum...A common concern in preclinical cancer research is the introduction of Corynebacterium bovis into immunodeficient mouse colonies through cancer cell lines. C. bovis is a known contaminant of patient-derived xenograft tumors passaged horizontally between immunodeficient mice. However, it is unclear if C. bovis can grow in mammalian tissue culture conditions or tissue culture media. We hypothesized that C. bovis would not grow under tissue culture conditions or media, diminishing the risk of transmission from tumor cell lines cultured in vitro. Three C. bovis isolates, CUAMC1, HAC, and ATCC-7715, were used to test our hypothesis in 3 of the most common media used to grow human cancer cell lines including RPMI 1640 + 10% FBS (RPMI), DMEM/high glucose + 10% FBS (DMEM), and DMEM/F-12 + 10% FBS (DMEM/F12). Our results confirmed propagation of each C. bovis isolate in DMEM/F12 media under tissue culture conditions after 72 h. However, these results also demonstrate diminished viability of each C. bovis isolate in RPMI and DMEM after 72 h. To assess whether antibiotics could halt the growth of C. bovis under tissue culture conditions in DMEM/F12, penicillin-streptomycin (pen/strep) was added to the experimental media. This treatment was effective in eliminating all viable C. bovis in the culture system after 72 h. Our data suggest that C. bovis growth under tissue culture conditions is possible and growth in tissue culture media is nuanced. These results highlight the importance of pathogen surveillance for tumor cell lines propagated in vitro and demonstrate the need for further investigation into C. bovis growth requirements.
Buffenstein R, Smith M, Amoroso VG
… +8 more, Patel TT, Ross M, Bassanpal S, Park TJ, Delaney MA, Adams CR, Arroyo J, Fortman J
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Nov · PMID 39179367
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The Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) is a subterranean, hypoxia-tolerant, long-lived rodent endemic to southern and central Africa that is increasingly being used in laboratory research. Its husbandry needs and c...The Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) is a subterranean, hypoxia-tolerant, long-lived rodent endemic to southern and central Africa that is increasingly being used in laboratory research. Its husbandry needs and characteristics differ from traditional rodent research models. Here, we provide a brief overview of this species and discuss its captive housing and husbandry requirements for managed care and good health.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Aug · PMID 39164072
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Buprenorphine hydrochloride (Bup-HCl) is a common injectable opioid analgesic. In ferrets, Bup-HCl must be administered every 8 to 12 h to maintain clinical efficacy. Extended-release analgesics offer multiple advantages...Buprenorphine hydrochloride (Bup-HCl) is a common injectable opioid analgesic. In ferrets, Bup-HCl must be administered every 8 to 12 h to maintain clinical efficacy. Extended-release analgesics offer multiple advantages, including reduced handling and injection frequency, improved compliance, and increased protection from end-of-dose failure. Although efficacy of extended-release buprenorphine formulations has been demonstrated in other species, their use in the domestic ferret has not been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the pharmacokinetics of a compounded polymeric formulation of buprenorphine (Bup-ER) and a pharmaceutical-grade, FDA-indexed liposomal suspension (Bup-XR). Two doses each of Bup-ER (0.12 and 0.2 mg/kg) and Bup-XR (0.2 and 0.6 mg/kg SC) were administered to young adult female ferrets and plasma concentrations were measured between 0 and 96 h ( = 4 animals per timepoint). All doses of both drugs achieved therapeutic plasma levels by 30 min. Furthermore, high-dose Bup-XR maintained therapeutic levels for 72 h, followed by high-dose Bup-ER (less than 48 h), low-dose Bup-XR (24 h), and low-dose Bup-ER (less than 24 h). In this study, we also developed a pain scoring system and utilized this to compare analgesic efficacy between single high-dose Bup-XR (0.6 mg/kg SC) and a standard postoperative course of Bup-HCl (0.02 mg/kg SC every 10 to 12 h for 8 doses) after ovariohysterectomy. Ferrets receiving Bup-XR had significantly lower respiratory rate and posture scores in the first 24 h postoperatively than did those that received Bup-HCl and were less likely to react to palpation of the surgical incision. Of note, ferrets that received high-dose Bup-ER had a significantly higher incidence of injection site reactions than ferrets that received Bup-HCl ( = 0.0137). This study demonstrates that a single dose of Bup-XR (0.6 mg/kg SC) is a safe and effective analgesic in female ferrets, with a duration of action up to 72 h and minimal side effects, offering a refinement to analgesia in this species.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
· 2024 Aug · PMID 39164068
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Feed wastage in laboratory mice, also known as chewing or grinding behavior, is problematic for program management and animal welfare. The destruction of pelleted feed without consumption produces a powder accumulation o...Feed wastage in laboratory mice, also known as chewing or grinding behavior, is problematic for program management and animal welfare. The destruction of pelleted feed without consumption produces a powder accumulation on the cage floor called orts. Ort accumulation disrupts the cage microenvironment and can clog Lixits resulting in flooding. Moreover, added labor adds cost, and cage disruption increases animal stress. Published studies examining the behavior and ways to mitigate it have had inconsistent results, and the cause or causes have not yet been fully identified. The purpose of this study was to identify methods to reduce the development of chewing behavior in laboratory mice. Female Swiss Webster (Tac:SW) mice ( = 144) were randomly assigned to one of 8 groups (12 cages per group) with 2 housing densities (single and pair) and 4 nesting material paradigms. Mice were housed on clean bedding for 8 wk and then soiled bedding for the next 8 wk. Chewing behavior was evaluated by feed weight, cage weight, and feed scores. The addition of a Diamond Twist significantly increased ort production, while nest transfer decreased it but not significantly. Pair housing increased overall orts but not when adjusted for animal number. These results identified potential contributing factors to chewing behavior. However, further research is needed to elucidate the exact causes and solutions.