Spatial interaction between cage and test environments: Position preferences of young isolated and pair-housed rats

Syme, Lesley A.; Syme, Geoffrey J.

doi:10.3758/bf03214428

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 12 publications

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“…Similarly, female rats showed a preference for an area with bedding material over an area with a grid floor both during the day and at night, while male rats only showed a preference for bedding material during the day and preferred the grid floor at night 72 . When given an option between a small, medium, and large arena in a choice test, the time spent in each arena depended on the size of the rat's home-cage and whether or not they were housed in isolation; paired-housed rats in large cages showed a preference for larger areas, whereas isolated rats housed in large cages showed a preference for the smaller area 73 . One study found that in the light phase, stainless steel cages -which offered increased darkness -were preferred, but in the dark phase, animals raised in stainless steel cages showed a preference for steel, while animals raised in polycarbonate cages showed no preference 74 .…”

Section: Refinements That Have Been Studied?mentioning

confidence: 99%

A mapping review of refinements to laboratory rat housing and husbandry

et al. 2023

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Refining the housing and husbandry of laboratory rats is an important goal, both for ethical reasons and to allow better quality research. We conducted a mapping review of 1,017 studies investigating potential refinements of housing and husbandry of the laboratory rat to assess what refinements have, and haven't, been studied, and to briefly assess whether there is evidence to support any impact on rat welfare. Among the many refinements studied, the majority involve changes to the cage, but some also involve alterations to the wider environment. The effects of these refinements were assessed using a range of readouts, many of which are difficult to interpret from a welfare perspective. Preference studies, which are easier to interpret, provide evidence that rats prefer complex environments, including shelters and multiple objects, which offer different areas/resources allowing the rat to engage in diverse behaviours. The reporting of methodology in papers was often poor, indicating that studies were potentially subject to biases. Given that many refinements co-occurred, it was often difficult to tease apart which ones were most beneficial for rat welfare. Effects of refinements were also moderated by a number of factors including age, sex, strain, and photoperiod. Altogether our findings show that a one-size-fits-all approach to refinements is not appropriate, because different refinements will impact different rats in different ways. Our review has also produced a database of >1,000 articles that can be used for further and more detailed analyses. Our findings have also highlighted areas where future research is likely to be valuable, including refinements to rat transport, handling, and the use of training.

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Section: Refinements That Have Been Studied?mentioning

confidence: 99%

A mapping review of refinements to laboratory rat housing and husbandry

et al. 2023

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Neurobehavioral tests in single- and repeated-dose toxicity studies in small rodents

Alder

Zbinden

1983

Arch Toxicol

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The discovery of neurobehavioral hazards is an important goal of the majority of the toxicological studies. Quite often it is possible to detect signs of neurobehavioral toxicity through non-instrumental observations and from the response of the animals to simple manipulations. Psychopharmacologists have long used these techniques to identify new drugs with potential usefulness as psychotropic agents. Their approach may also be applicable for the detection of neurotoxic chemicals. Based on a review of the literature and personal experience a neurobehavioral check-list is proposed which can easily be incorporated into the animal care and treatment routine used in single- and repeated-dose toxicity studies with small rodents. The instrumental tests which measure motor activity, neuromuscular functions, muscle strength, emotionality and social behavior are also discussed. The usefulness of these procedures in toxicology is not yet established. Their introduction into the testing routine creates considerable logistic difficulties and might not be compatible with good laboratory practices. Therefore, it is suggested to explore the procedures developed by psychopharmalogists and behavioral scientists and to validate them with a variety of neurobehavioral toxins. Tests which produce relevant and reproducible data may then be added to the toxicological protocols, preferably within the framework of safety pharmacology.

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An investigation into the effects of solid or grid cage flooring on the welfare of laboratory rats

Manser

Morris²,

Broom

1995

Lab Anim

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The welfare of laboratory rats housed on either solid or grid floors was investigated in several ways. No differences were found in body weight gain, food consumption or water consumption amongst rats housed in either condition. When handling was standardized between the 2 groups, there was no correlation between flooring and docility. Preference testing revealed that rats chose to dwell on solid floors rather than grids, regardless of previous housing experience. This preference for solid floors was particularly marked (88%) when the animals were resting and much less marked during activity (55.4%). Since the rats were observed to spend 70 to 75% of their time resting, it was concluded that their welfare was likely to be improved by housing them on solid floors.

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Spatial interaction between cage and test environments: Position preferences of young isolated and pair-housed rats

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

A mapping review of refinements to laboratory rat housing and husbandry

A mapping review of refinements to laboratory rat housing and husbandry

Neurobehavioral tests in single- and repeated-dose toxicity studies in small rodents

An investigation into the effects of solid or grid cage flooring on the welfare of laboratory rats

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