Line S W, Clarke A S, Markowitz H, Ellman G
California Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis 95616.
Lab Anim. 1990 Jul;24(3):213-20. doi: 10.1258/002367790780866245.
Environmental enrichment devices are a potential way to enhance psychological well-being in laboratory animals. The effects of such devices need to be systematically evaluated before they are recommended for widespread use. The purpose of this research was to monitor the behavioural and physiological responses of adult female rhesus macaques to a simple enrichment device. The apparatus consisted of a box attached to the monkey's home cage that contained a radio and a food dispenser, which could be controlled by the monkeys via contact detectors. Radio and food dispenser use were automatically recorded. Whole blood serotonin (WBS), plasma cortisol and abnormal behaviour were measured in 5 monkeys before, during and after a 20-week period in which the monkey's cages were equipped with the device. All monkeys used the device (3 of the 5 subjects earned an average of more than 200 food pellets per day). Mean plasma cortisol and whole blood serotonin did not differ across sampling times, suggesting that the apparatus had no effect on basal stress levels. There was an inverse relationship between apparatus use and cortisol levels in 76% of the samples, but only 3 of 17 coefficients were significant. There was a significant but small negative correlation between apparatus use and self-abusive behaviour. This enrichment device was readily used by adult rhesus monkeys and could be adapted for use in a wide variety of laboratory settings.
环境丰富装置是增强实验动物心理健康的一种潜在方式。在推荐广泛使用此类装置之前，需要对其效果进行系统评估。本研究的目的是监测成年雌性恒河猴对一种简单丰富装置的行为和生理反应。该装置由一个连接在猴子笼舍上的盒子组成，盒子里有一台收音机和一个食物分配器，猴子可以通过接触探测器对其进行控制。收音机和食物分配器的使用情况会自动记录下来。在为期20周的时间里，对5只猴子在配备该装置之前、期间和之后的全血血清素（WBS）、血浆皮质醇和异常行为进行了测量。所有猴子都使用了该装置（5只猴子中有3只平均每天获得超过200颗食物颗粒）。不同采样时间的平均血浆皮质醇和全血血清素没有差异，这表明该装置对基础应激水平没有影响。在76%的样本中，装置使用与皮质醇水平之间存在负相关关系，但17个系数中只有3个具有显著性。装置使用与自我虐待行为之间存在显著但较小的负相关。这种丰富装置成年恒河猴很容易使用，并且可以适用于各种实验室环境。
