Yoshida K, Okamoto M, Tajima M, Kurosawa T
Technical Research Laboratory, Dai-Dan Co., Ltd., Saitama.
Exp Anim. 1995 Oct;43(5):703-10. doi: 10.1538/expanim1978.43.5_703.
There is little information about microenvironments within laboratory animal cages, although several guidelines on the macroenvironment in laboratory animal rooms have been reported. We have developed a forced-air ventilation system (FVMIS) to improve laboratory animal well-being. In this study, we tested the performance of the FVMIS in terms of temperature and ammonia concentration within cages. Continuous measurement of temperature and ammonia concentration was carried out in FVMIS cages housing 5 rats each. The average temperature within the cages was 22 degrees C to 24 degrees C, and the temperature difference among cages was 0.93 degrees C. The air exchange rate used was 65 changes per hour. FVMIS was capable of controlling the temperature within cages uniformly and accurately with a lower air exchange rate than with the conventional system. The ammonia concentration reached 20 ppm within 9 days in a filtercapped conventional cage, but took 13 to 16 days to reach 20 ppm with FVMIS. It appears that FVMIS is capable of suppressing the ammonia concentration increase in cages, thereby reducing the frequency of cage changes and the stress to laboratory animals when cages are changed. In the present study, it was confirmed that FVMIS contributes not only to microenvironmental control in terms of temperature and ammonia concentration with a lower air exchange rate, but also to animal well-being.
尽管已有多篇关于实验动物房宏观环境的指南报道，但关于实验动物笼内微环境的信息却很少。我们开发了一种强制通风系统（FVMIS）以改善实验动物的健康状况。在本研究中，我们测试了FVMIS在笼内温度和氨浓度方面的性能。在每个容纳5只大鼠的FVMIS笼中持续测量温度和氨浓度。笼内平均温度为22摄氏度至24摄氏度，各笼间温差为0.93摄氏度。所采用的空气交换率为每小时65次换气。与传统系统相比，FVMIS能够以更低的空气交换率均匀且精确地控制笼内温度。在有过滤盖的传统笼中，氨浓度在9天内达到20 ppm，但使用FVMIS则需要13至16天才能达到20 ppm。看来FVMIS能够抑制笼内氨浓度的增加，从而减少更换笼子的频率以及更换笼子时对实验动物造成的应激。在本研究中，证实了FVMIS不仅能以较低的空气交换率在温度和氨浓度方面实现微环境控制，还对动物健康有益。
