2008

 

Collaboration between academia and industry with focus on improvement of the welfare of both animals and humans in laboratory animal facilities

Ottesen, J.L., Mikkelsen, L.F., Bertelsen, T., Krohn, T.C., Velschow, S., Hau, J., Møllegaard, H., Dragsted, N., Hansen, A.K.

AATEX, 14, Special Issue, pp. 69-71, 2008.

Abstract:

Centre for Applied Laboratory Animal Research (CALAR), www.calar.dk, is a research group established in 1999 consisting of scientists from Danish universities and private research institutions.
It is the vision of CALAR that animals as well as humans in a modern laboratory animal facility will perceive it as a positive experience to be a laboratory animal or a laboratory animal experimenter, respectively.
There are many examples of collaborations between Academia and Industry with a focus on animal welfare, however, the CALAR collaboration is unique in having a dual focus on both animal welfare and health and safety issues for animal care professionals, veterinarians and scientists.
In order to pursue the CALAR vision, many research projects have been performed with focus on improved housing conditions (e.g., non-enriched versus environmentally enriched housing and single housing versus social housing), experimental procedures (e.g., optimal blood sampling and improved welfare for rats housed in standard metabolic cages), physiological changes in relation to different housing conditions (e.g., cardiovascular parameters, diabetes development, haematology and clinical chemistry) and allergen protection (e.g., efficacy and optimal use of airshowers).

 

Evaluation of Corncob as Bedding for Rodents

Krohn, T.C., Hansen, A.K.

Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science, 35, pp. 231-236, 2008

Abstract:

As an alternative to aspen bedding, corncob may be used for rodents. Previous studies have shown that the ammonia level in cages using corncob bedding is reduced compared to cages with aspen bedding. The reduced level of ammonia prolongs the interval between cage changing, and it may therefore be beneficial for the facility to use corncob.
The aim of the present study was to measure and evaluate the animal preferences for corncob compared to aspen bedding and also analyse the properties of corncob compared to aspen bedding.
When analysing the bedding’s ability to absorb water, corncob showed lower water absorption compared to aspen bedding; the more corncob in the mixture, the less water is absorbed.
Both mice and rats rejected cages with pure corncob during the day (sleeping time), and none of the animals preferred corncob mixed with aspen, only equally accepted it.
In conclusion, neither rats nor mice prefer corncob, even not in mixtures with aspen bedding and enrichment. In the light of the common standard for bedding being wood chips, and the lack of preference for corncob mixture, corncob seems to be a poor alternative to wood based bedding.

 

 

Enriching the metabolic cage: effects on rat physiology and behaviour

Sørensen, D.B., Mortensen, K., Bertelsen, T., Vognbjerg, K.

Animal Welfare, 17, pp. 395-403, 2008

Abstract:

Metabolic cages are used for housing rats and mice for up to five days for collection of urine and/or faeces. The small, barren area of the metabolic cage compromises animal welfare as the animals lack a solid floor, shelter, nest material and social contact. We constructed and tested a practically-applicable enrichment device designed to meet behavioural needs for environmental complexity. The influence of this device on the cage preferences and stress levels of the animals was evaluated. A box-shaped enrichment device was designed and implemented in existing metabolic cages. Male Tac:SD rats were housed for five days in an enriched metabolic cage (EMC; n = 12) or a standard metabolic cage (SMC; n = 12), and data were collected on bodyweight, food and water intake, urination and defaecation, as well as urinary corticosterone and creatinine. Moreover, open-field behaviour and cage preferences were assessed. Rats in both groups gained significantly less weight when housed in metabolic cages. Furthermore, SMC rats failed to increase their weight gain after being housed in the metabolic cage. Defaecation was significantly higher in the SMC than in the EMC and so was urinary creatinine. No group differences were found in open-field behaviour. However, in comparing activity before and after housing in the metabolic cage, only SMC animals exhibited significantly lower total activity. In a preference test, a preference for the tunnel connecting the cages in the preference test and a side preference for the left side were found. This side preference was eliminated when the EMC was placed on the right side, whereas the right side was significantly avoided when the EMC was placed on the left side. Based on these results, we conclude that, to some extent, the enrichment device improved the welfare of rats housed in EMC, compared to those in SMC.

 

 

Using Airshowers to decrease laboratory animal allergy

Krohn, T.C., Vognbjerg, K., Hansen, A.K.

Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science, 35, pp. 119-123, 2008

Abstract:

Airshowers may be an effective way of removing allergens from the clothing and uncovered skin and hair of personnel, but the optimal shower time and air speed for this use have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to test the effect of differences in clothing type, shower time, and air speed on the efficiency of allergen removal by airshowering. In general we found that as air flow rate or shower time increased, so did allergen reduction. When tested in a real-life situation, the airshower removed more than 98% of the allergens from the shoulder area of personnel and more than 87% of the allergens from the thigh area. In addition, the allergens remaining after airshowering were not spread when protective clothing was removed. Factors such as clothing type, air speeds, and showering time need to be considered when establishing standard operational procedures for the use of airshowers.

 

 

Breeding performance of pair and triple housed Sprague Dawley rats

Mikkelsen, L.F., Larsson, S., Matsushita, F., Hufeldt, M.R., Møllegaard, H.

Poster at ScandLAS 2008 in Tartu, Estonia.

Download of the poster