Van der Mierden Stevie, Leenaars Cathalijn H C, Boyle Erin C, Ripoli Florenza L, Gass Peter, Durst Mattea, Goerlich-Jansson Vivian C, Jirkof Paulin, Keubler Lydia M, Talbot Steven R, Habedank Anne, Lewejohann Lars, Tolba Rene H, Bleich André
Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim Faculty, Mannheim, Germany.
ALTEX. 2021;38(1):111-122. doi: 10.14573/altex.2004221. Epub 2020 Oct 6.
Evaluating stress in laboratory animals is a key principle in animal welfare. Measuring corticosterone is a common method to assess stress in laboratory mice. There are, however, numerous methods to measure glucocorticoids with differences in sample matrix (e.g., plasma, urine) and quantification techniques (e.g., enzyme immunoassay or radioimmunoassay). Here, the authors present a mapping review and a searchable database, giving a complete overview of all studies measuring endogenous corticosterone in mice up to February 2018. For each study, information was recorded regarding mouse strain and sex; corticosterone sample matrix and quantification technique; and whether the study covered the research theme animal welfare, neuroscience, stress, inflammation, or pain (the themes of specific interest in our consortium). Using all database entries for the year 2012, an exploratory meta-regression was performed to determine the effect of predictors on basal corticosterone concentrations. Seventy-five studies were included using the predictors sex, time-since-lights-on, sample matrix, quantification technique, age of the mice, and type of control. Sex, time-since-lights-on, and type of control significantly affected basal corticosterone concentrations. The resulting database can be used, inter alia, for preventing unnecessary duplication of experiments, identifying knowledge gaps, and standardizing or heterogenizing methodologies. These results will help plan more efficient and valid experiments in the future and can answer new questions in silico using meta-analyses.
评估实验动物的应激是动物福利的一项关键原则。测量皮质酮是评估实验小鼠应激的常用方法。然而，有许多测量糖皮质激素的方法，在样本基质（如血浆、尿液）和定量技术（如酶免疫测定或放射免疫测定）方面存在差异。在此，作者进行了一项图谱综述并建立了一个可搜索的数据库，全面概述了截至2018年2月所有测量小鼠内源性皮质酮的研究。对于每项研究，记录了有关小鼠品系和性别、皮质酮样本基质和定量技术的信息，以及该研究是否涵盖动物福利、神经科学、应激、炎症或疼痛等研究主题（这些是我们联盟特别感兴趣的主题）。利用2012年数据库中的所有条目，进行了一项探索性元回归分析，以确定预测因素对基础皮质酮浓度的影响。纳入了75项研究，采用的预测因素包括性别、光照后时间、样本基质、定量技术、小鼠年龄和对照类型。性别、光照后时间和对照类型对基础皮质酮浓度有显著影响。所得数据库尤其可用于防止不必要的实验重复、识别知识空白以及使方法标准化或多样化。这些结果将有助于未来规划更高效、有效的实验，并可通过元分析在计算机上回答新问题。
