Arts Johanna W M, Kramer Klaas, Arndt Saskia S, Ohl Frauke
Department of Animals in Science & Society, Division of Animal Welfare & Laboratory Animal Science, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
ILAR J. 2012;53(1):E82-98. doi: 10.1093/ilar.53.1.82.
Transportation of laboratory rodents unavoidably causes stress. Nevertheless, very little is known about the effects of transportation and how long it takes for the animal to recuperate. In the present study, we investigated physiological and behavioral parameters before and after transportation in both transported and nontransported animals. We took blood samples to analyze plasma corticosterone and creatine kinase, and performed physiological measurements by means of telemetry, measuring heart rate, blood pressure, and activity. Behavior was measured by means of home cage observations. This study revealed that plasma corticosterone levels increased at least up to 16 days after transportation, blood pressure and heart rate showed a lasting decrease after transportation, grooming increased, and social interactions and locomotor activity decreased after transportation. With these data we demonstrate that there is a long-lasting effect of transportation on physiological and behavioral parameters. Our results show that the stressful impact of transportation embraces all parts of the procedure, including for example the packing of the animals. Researchers must be aware of this impact and provide a sufficient acclimatization period to allow for the (re-)stabilization of parameters. Insufficient acclimatization periods endanger not only the reliability of research results but also the welfare of the animal used.
实验啮齿动物的运输不可避免地会造成应激。然而，对于运输的影响以及动物需要多长时间恢复，我们知之甚少。在本研究中，我们调查了运输组和非运输组动物在运输前后的生理和行为参数。我们采集血样以分析血浆皮质酮和肌酸激酶，并通过遥测技术进行生理测量，测量心率、血压和活动量。行为通过笼内观察进行测量。本研究表明，运输后血浆皮质酮水平至少在16天内持续升高，血压和心率在运输后持续下降，梳理行为增加，社交互动和运动活动在运输后减少。通过这些数据我们证明，运输对生理和行为参数有长期影响。我们的结果表明，运输的应激影响涵盖了整个过程，例如包括动物的包装。研究人员必须意识到这种影响，并提供足够的适应期，以使参数（重新）稳定。适应期不足不仅会危及研究结果的可靠性，还会危及所用动物的福利。
