Rettich Andreas, Käsermann Hans Peter, Pelczar Pawel, Bürki Kurt, Arras Margarete
Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2006;9(4):277-88. doi: 10.1207/s15327604jaws0904_3.
Housing mice in the laboratory in groups enables social interaction and is the way a laboratory should house mice. However, adult males show reciprocal aggression and are therefore frequently housed individually. Alternatively, a grid divider, which allows sensory contact by sight and smell but prevents fighting and injuries, can separate mice within 1 cage. This study examined the influence of this housing method on various physiological and behavioral parameters. Adult male mice housed for 10 days with sensory contact to an unfamiliar male displayed significant increases in heart rate (HR), body core temperature (BT), and motor activity (ACT). Furthermore, the mice suffered impaired nest-building behavior and significantly reduced body weight. Conversely, males housed in a similar manner with a female companion showed only a transient elevation of ACT, BT, and HR. Although no clear beneficial effect of housing males with sensory contact to females was evident, this study could not exclude it. On the other hand, housing of mature males in this way leads to sustained detrimental alterations of physiology and behavior, thus implying severe impairment of animal well-being.
将小鼠成群饲养在实验室中有利于社交互动，这也是实验室饲养小鼠的方式。然而，成年雄性小鼠会相互攻击，因此常被单独饲养。或者，使用网格隔板可以在一个笼子内分隔小鼠，网格隔板能让小鼠通过视觉和嗅觉进行感官接触，但能防止打斗和受伤。本研究考察了这种饲养方式对各种生理和行为参数的影响。与陌生雄性小鼠进行感官接触饲养10天的成年雄性小鼠，其心率（HR）、体核温度（BT）和运动活动（ACT）显著增加。此外，这些小鼠筑巢行为受损，体重显著减轻。相反，与雌性同伴以类似方式饲养的雄性小鼠，其ACT、BT和HR仅出现短暂升高。虽然未明显看出与雌性小鼠进行感官接触饲养雄性小鼠有明显的有益效果，但本研究也无法排除这种可能性。另一方面，以这种方式饲养成熟雄性小鼠会导致生理和行为持续出现有害变化，从而意味着动物福利受到严重损害。
