Ratuski Anna S, Theil Jacob H, Ahloy-Dallaire Jamie, Gaskill Brianna N, Pritchett-Corning Kathleen R, Felt Stephen A, Garner Joseph P
Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Campus Veterinary Services, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 3;15(1):7456. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-91687-5.
Barbering is a common abnormal behavior in laboratory mice, where mice pluck their own fur and/or the fur or whiskers of their cage mates. Barbering mice are a concern for welfare and research quality, as well as serving as a spontaneous model of trichotillomania (a hair-pulling disorder in humans). Causes and prevention of barbering are poorly understood, although there is evidence that both biological and environmental factors play a role in its prevalence. Since initial work in this area was done 20 years ago, mouse husbandry has changed dramatically. We provide an updated analysis of risk factors for barbering in laboratory mice based on point prevalence of hair loss in 2544 cages over one year (7007 mice). We analyzed the effects of biological, environmental, and husbandry factors that are known to be stressors for mice. We found that certain risk factors for barbering, such as sex and breeding status, have persisted despite changes in housing. We additionally identified differences in prevalence based on genetic background, housing system, time of year, and a "hotspot" effect showing spatial clustering of barbering. Our findings can be used to increase understanding of this behavior and to inform changes in husbandry to reduce its prevalence.
拔毛是实验室小鼠常见的异常行为，即小鼠会拔自己的毛和/或同笼伙伴的毛或胡须。拔毛小鼠不仅关乎动物福利和研究质量，还可作为拔毛癖（人类的一种拔毛障碍）的自发模型。尽管有证据表明生物因素和环境因素在拔毛行为的普遍发生中都起作用，但人们对其成因及预防措施仍知之甚少。自20年前该领域开展初步研究以来，小鼠饲养方式已发生了巨大变化。我们基于对2544个笼子（7007只小鼠）一年间的掉毛点患病率，对实验室小鼠拔毛的风险因素进行了更新分析。我们分析了已知会给小鼠造成压力的生物、环境和饲养因素的影响。我们发现，尽管饲养环境发生了变化，但某些拔毛风险因素，如性别和繁殖状态，依然存在。我们还发现，基于遗传背景、饲养系统、一年中的时间以及拔毛行为呈现空间聚集的“热点”效应，拔毛患病率存在差异。我们的研究结果可用于增进对这种行为的理解，并为改变饲养方式以降低其患病率提供依据。
