Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Obesity Center, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA.
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA; Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Science, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Front Nutr. 2016 Feb 4;3:4. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00004. eCollection 2016.
Animal welfare and accurate data collection are equally important in rodent research. Housing influences study outcomes and can challenge studies that monitor feeding, so housing choice needs to be evidence-based. The goal of these studies was to (1) compare established measures of well-being between rodents housed in wire grid-bottom floors with a resting platform compared to solid-bottom floors with bedding and (2) determine whether presence of a chewable device (Nylabone) affects orexin-A-induced hyperphagia.
Rodents were crossed over to the alternate housing twice after 2-week periods. Time required to complete food intake measurements was recorded as an indicator of feasibility. Food intake stimulated by orexin-A was compared with and without the Nylabone. Blood corticosterone and hypothalamic BDNF were assessed.
Housing had no effect on growth, energy expenditure, corticosterone, hypothalamic BDNF, behavior, and anxiety measures. Food intake was disrupted after housing cross-over. Time required to complete food intake measurements was significantly higher for solid-bottom bedded cages. The Nylabone had no effect on orexin-A-stimulated feeding.
Well-being is not significantly different between rodents housed on grid-bottom floors and those in solid-bottom-bedded cages based on overall growth and feeding but alternating between housing confounds measures of feeding.
动物福利和准确的数据收集在啮齿动物研究中同样重要。饲养环境会影响研究结果，并且可能会对监测喂养的研究造成挑战，因此饲养环境的选择需要有充分的证据支持。这些研究的目的是：（1）比较在有休息平台的金属网格底笼和有垫料的实底笼中饲养的啮齿动物的幸福感的既定衡量标准；（2）确定是否存在咀嚼装置（Nylabone）会影响食欲素-A 诱导的过度摄食。
在 2 周后，啮齿动物两次交叉到另一种饲养环境中。记录完成食物摄入量测量所需的时间作为可行性的指标。比较有无 Nylabone 时，食欲素-A 刺激的食物摄入量。评估血液皮质酮和下丘脑 BDNF。
饲养环境对生长、能量消耗、皮质酮、下丘脑 BDNF、行为和焦虑测量没有影响。饲养环境转换后，食物摄入量受到干扰。完成食物摄入量测量所需的时间在实底垫料笼中显著更高。Nylabone 对食欲素-A 刺激的摄食没有影响。
根据整体生长和摄食情况，在网格底笼和实底垫料笼中饲养的啮齿动物的幸福感没有显著差异，但饲养环境的交替会干扰摄食的测量。
