Effects of exercise and enrichment on behaviour in CD-1 mice

Aujnarain, Amiirah B.; Luo, Owen Dan; Taylor, Natalie; Lai, Jonathan; Foster, Jane A.

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.01.007

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…In the social interaction test, both SE and EE mice spent more time in proximity of a cage enclosure comprising a retired breeder (used as a social target), indicating that they were both attracted by social novelty, which is typically observed in non-stressed mice (Berton et al, 2006 ; Yu et al, 2011 ; Aujnarain et al, 2018 ). Importantly, mice housed in EE spent more time around the cage enclosure than SE mice, irrespective of whether a social target was present, suggesting that post-weaning enrichment may have reduced the fear of novelty (be it social or not) and/or increased the natural interest of mice for complex stimuli (e.g., a wire cage or another mouse).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Enriched environments (EE) in laboratory rodents comprise housing in large cages equipped with toys and exercise items that stimulate playful behavior and physical activity. This manipulation may enhance cognitive abilities (He et al, 2017 ; Zeleznikow-Johnston et al, 2017 ) and diminish anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors (Galani et al, 2007 ; Nicolas et al, 2015 ; Reichmann et al, 2016 ; Aujnarain et al, 2018 ). Behavioral and cognitive effects of EE have been linked to increased neurogenesis and elevated expression of hippocampal brain-derived neutrophic factor (BDNF; Schloesser et al, 2010 ; Novkovic et al, 2015 ), and improved synaptic and transcriptomic capacity (Hüttenrauch et al, 2016 ; Zhang et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Early environmental manipulations may dramatically influence behavioral, emotional and cognitive profiles in later life (Sánchez et al, 2001 ; Krugers et al, 2017 ). In relation to enrichment, post-weaning EE in male and female mice enhanced social preference, reduced anxiety-like behaviors, and improved spatial learning in adulthood (Hendershott et al, 2016 ; Aujnarain et al, 2018 ). As well, when housed in an EE with their siblings after weaning, male offspring born to dams stressed during pregnancy had reduced anxiety-like behaviors and limited Purkinje cell dendritic atrophy over the life course (Pascual et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to earlier enrichment studies using this strain (Gross et al, 2011 ; McQuaid et al, 2012 ), mice were housed in sibling groups immediately after weaning in order to minimize social changes. We hypothesized that: (1) aggression levels and severity over the course of enriched housing would be comparable among SE and EE male CD-1 mice; (2) EE would increase social behaviors and reduce behaviors that reflect anxiety (Hendershott et al, 2016 ; Aujnarain et al, 2018 ); and (3) EE would limit plasma corticosterone elevations as well as brain cytokine and BDNF changes following exposure to a mild social (social interaction test) and non-social (elevated-plus maze) stressor (Rodgers et al, 1999 ; Koya et al, 2005 ; Skurlova et al, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Post-weaning Environmental Enrichment in Male CD-1 Mice: Impact on Social Behaviors, Corticosterone Levels and Prefrontal Cytokine Expression in Adulthood

McQuaid

Dunn

Jacobson‐Pick

et al. 2018

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Environmental enrichment is typically associated with enhanced well-being, improved cognitive function and stress resilience. However, in some instances grouping adult male mice in enriched conditions promoted a stressful environment, which resulted in elevated endocrine, monoamine and inflammatory outcomes in response to subsequent stressor exposure. The current investigation examined whether raising male mice in an enriched environment (EE) would modulate social and anxiety-like behaviors in early adulthood and influence brain expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Immediately after weaning (postnatal day [PD] 21), CD-1 male mice were housed with their siblings (3/cage) for 6 weeks in an EE or a standard (SE) environment. Body weights and aggressive interactions were monitored weekly. Social avoidance behaviors in the social interaction test and anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated-plus maze were examined in early adulthood. Ninety minutes following the behavioral tests, mice were sacrificed and a blood sample and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were collected for the determination of plasma corticosterone levels as well as cytokine and BDNF mRNA expression. Mice raised in an EE exhibited more wounds and gained less weight than mice housed in a SE. Enriched mice also spent a greater amount of time in proximity of a social target in the social interaction test and made fewer transitions into the closed arms of the elevated-plus maze. Interestingly, the elevated plasma corticosterone and upregulated prefrontal interleukin (IL)-1β expression observed after the social interaction test among the SE mice were not apparent among those housed in an EE. Enrichment also increased prefrontal BDNF expression, especially among mice that experienced the social interaction test. These results suggest that although raising male mice in an EE may elicit aggressive interactions between sibling cage-mates (as indicated by a high number of wounds), this environment also enhances social behaviors and limits the corticosterone and cytokine impacts of mild social stressors encountered in early adulthood.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Post-weaning Environmental Enrichment in Male CD-1 Mice: Impact on Social Behaviors, Corticosterone Levels and Prefrontal Cytokine Expression in Adulthood

McQuaid

Dunn

Jacobson‐Pick

et al. 2018

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the behavioural level, although some contradictory results can be found (Azar et al, 2012), experimental evidence suggests enhanced performance in learning and memory tasks and reduced depressive-and anxiety-like behaviour after exposure to enriched environments in animal models (Mesa-Gresa et al, 2013a;Rogers et al, 2019;Aujnarain et al, 2018). Previous experiments with mice and rats suggest that animals usually show an improvement in the ability to learn both spatial and non-spatial tasks (Leggio et al, 2005;Diniz et al, 2010;Viola et al, 2010), faster adaptation to novel environments (Zimmermann et al, 2001; Hughes and Collins, 2010), and diminished exploratory behaviour (Mesa-Gresa et al, 2013b) following exposure to an enriched environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity and environmental enrichment: Behavioural effects of exposure to different housing conditions in mice

Rabadán¹,

Ramos-Campos²,

Redolat³

et al. 2020

Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis

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Enriched environments and exercise provide complex environmental stimulation that can induce emotional and cognitive changes; however, few studies have evaluated the effects of these two components on other behaviours, such as novelty seeking or pain sensitivity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of voluntary physical activity provided through different housing conditions on anxiety, locomotor activity, pain sensitivity, and exploration. Male mice at postnatal day (PND) 21 and were randomly assigned to one of four different conditions on PND 28: Marlau cages (MC), a standardized cage designed to provide a complex environment; physical exercise in large groups (PE-8); physical exercise in small groups (PE-4); or a standard environment (SE). After seven weeks, animals were evaluated in the hole-board task, the elevated zero maze, actimeter, and hot plate test. In the hole-board task, MC animals displayed more exploration than animals in the PE-8 and PE-4 groups, but no significant differences were observed between groups in the actimeter. In the elevated zero maze, MC and PE-8 animals exhibited an anxiogenic-like profile as compared to the SE group. When pain sensitivity was evaluated, the PE-8 group displayed a higher sensitivity to noxious thermal stimuli than the SE group. These data suggest that the complexity of the environment in which physical activity and environmental stimulation are provided can influence animal behaviours such as novelty seeking, emotional response, and pain sensitivity. These animal models could be useful for designing more personalized interventions that include physical, social, and cognitive stimulation to promote a more active lifestyle in humans. Such interventions could be useful in the prevention and treatment of aging-related decline or neurodegenerative diseases.

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Environmental Enrichment Cage for Laboratory Mice: A Downloadable Alternative

Smith,

Murack,

Sharani

et al. 2024

Current Protocols

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Environmentally enriched housing (EE) provides a stimulating and species‐typical environment that enhances brain plasticity and cognition, while reducing disease severity in laboratory animals. However, standardizing EE protocols has been challenging due to issues such as variability, high pricing, or limited laboratory space. To address these challenges, we present a replicable and cost‐efficient cage protocol that is accessible to researchers with limited resources and space constraints. The protocol is designed to provide a stimulating and species‐typical environment for the animals. It incorporates elements such as social interaction, physical exercise, cognitive stimulation, manipulable objects, environmental variability, and sensory stimulation. As evidenced in our previous studies using our protocol, users can expect to observe similar neuroplastic and health‐wise benefits that accompany EE experimental paradigms. These included straightforward step‐by‐step guide, which allows for construction of functional EE cages in under 8 hr. Basic knowledge of 3D printing and laser cutting is required, but no advanced skills are necessary. The protocol enables researchers to create stimulating and replicable environments that promote animal welfare, enhance brain plasticity, and yield valuable experimental results for low cost. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol: An effective and cost‐efficient environmental enrichment cage designed to encourage standardization amongst laboratory protocols.

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Effects of exercise and enrichment on behaviour in CD-1 mice

Cited by 22 publications

References 48 publications

Post-weaning Environmental Enrichment in Male CD-1 Mice: Impact on Social Behaviors, Corticosterone Levels and Prefrontal Cytokine Expression in Adulthood

Post-weaning Environmental Enrichment in Male CD-1 Mice: Impact on Social Behaviors, Corticosterone Levels and Prefrontal Cytokine Expression in Adulthood

Physical activity and environmental enrichment: Behavioural effects of exposure to different housing conditions in mice

Environmental Enrichment Cage for Laboratory Mice: A Downloadable Alternative

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