Housing-related activity in rats:: effects on body weight, urinary corticosterone levels, muscle properties and performance
Housing-related activity in rats:: effects on body weight, urinary corticosterone levels, muscle properties and performance
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DOI：
10.1258/0023677052886457
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发表时间：
2005-01-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Cvek, K
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Spangenberg, EMF;Augustsson, H;Cvek, K
通常用于饲养实验室大鼠的笼子系统常常导致久坐和超重的动物，因为身体活动的机会有限，再加上随意喂养。这对动物的健康和实验结果都有影响。体育活动对健康和寿命有几个已知的积极影响，因此，身体健康可能被纳入动物福利概念。本研究的目的是探讨围栏是否以及如何影响大鼠的身体活动和健康。32只幼年雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠被随机分配到两个不同的住房系统中，为期4周。16只大鼠单独饲养于标准的Makrolon III型笼（42 X 26 X 18 cm），配有黑色塑料管（单间，SI）。其余大鼠以8只为一组，饲养在150 X 210厘米的大型地板围栏中，并在围栏内放置各种物品以增加环境复杂性（围栏，PH值）。测定各组大鼠的体重增加、摄食量和饮水量。在第3周或第4周，测量家庭笼行为、尿皮质酮/肌酐比（CO/CR）和斜面上的肌肉力量。酶活性和糖原含量在研究结束时安乐死后取自肱三头肌的组织样本进行测量。各组之间的食物和水摄入量没有显著差异，但4周后PH大鼠的体重比SI大鼠轻14%，PH大鼠的行为模式也比SI大鼠更多样化。PH大鼠比SI大鼠具有更高的氧化能力（柠檬酸合酶（CS）多28%）和更高的糖原含量（28%）。肌力测试（PH大鼠平均角度为75 +/- 0.5°，SI大鼠平均角度为69 +/- 0.4°）和耐力测试（PH大鼠平均时间为233 +/- 22 s， SI大鼠平均时间为73 +/- 14 s）中，PH大鼠在斜面上均表现较好。PH大鼠的体重与斜面结果呈负相关。房屋类型间CO/CR比值无显著差异。总之，大围栏代表了一个刺激身体活动和更多样化行为的环境，这应该有利于动物的福利。
The cage systems commonly used for housing laboratory rats often result in sedentary and overweight animals, as a consequence of restricted opportunities for physical activity combined with ad libitum feeding. This can have implications both for animal well-being and for the experimental outcome. Physical activity has several known positive effects on health and lifespan, and physical fitness might therefore be incorporated into the animal welfare concept. The aim of this study was to investigate if and how pen housing affects the physical activity and fitness of rats. Thirty-two juvenile male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two different housing systems for a 4-week period. Sixteen rats were kept individually in standard Makrolon type III cages (42 X 26 X 18 cm) furnished with black plastic tubes (singly-housed, SI). The remaining rats were kept in groups of eight, housed in large floor pens (150 X 210 cm), which were furnished with various objects to increase environmental complexity (pen-housed, PH). The body weight gain, and food and water intake of the rats were measured. During weeks 3 or 4, home cage behaviour, urinary cortiosterone/ creatinine ratios (CO/CR), and muscle strength on an inclined plane, were measured. Enzyme activities and glycogen content were measured in tissue samples from m. triceps brachii taken after euthanization at the end of the study. There were no significant differences between groups for food and water intake, but PH rats weighed 14% less than SI rats after 4 weeks, and PH rats also had a more diverse behavioural pattern than SI rats. PH rats had significantly higher oxidative capacity (28% more citrate synthase (CS)) and greater glycogen content (28%) in their muscle samples than SI rats. The PH rats performed significantly better on the inclined plane, both in the muscle strength test (mean angle 75 +/- 0.5degrees for PH rats and 69 +/- 0.4degrees for SI rats) and the endurance strength test (mean time 233 +/- 22 s for PH rats and 73 +/- 14 s for SI rats). There was a negative correlation between body weight and results on the inclined plane for the PH rats. There were no significant differences between housing types with respect to CO/CR ratios. In conclusion, the large pen represents an environment that stimulates physical activity and more varied behaviour, which should be beneficial for the welfare of the animal.