Physiological Evaluation of Animal Room Environment for Rat and Rabbit using Telemetry system

为了评估居住条件对大鼠和家兔的影响，我们研究了生理参数的变化。采用遥测法测定清醒无约束动物的动脉血压（BP）、心率（HR）和体温（BT）。老鼠被关在单独的塑料笼子里，地板上铺着木屑。兔子被关在单独的玻璃钢笼中，笼上铺着不锈钢丝。实验室内，一个光-暗循环（LD 12:12），保持在受控温度下。遥测系统每5分钟连续记录一次生理信号。在大鼠和家兔中，这些信号以24小时为周期（昼夜节律）变化。在大鼠和家兔的夜间模式中，在黑暗阶段的值高于光明阶段的值。但家兔血压和心率均低于大鼠。所有动物在室温（17 ~ 30℃）的大范围内均表现出生理信号的节律性。雄棉大鼠在关灯和开灯后BT呈明显的峰值。家兔的暗光温度差异小于大鼠。结果表明，高于28摄氏度或低于18摄氏度的温度可能对大鼠和家兔产生生理影响。遥测系统可能有助于评估住房条件对大鼠和兔子的影响。大鼠和家兔可能通过行为、生理和形态机制来适应极端情况，但这种适应需要时间，并可能改变实验结果或以其他方式影响其表现。因此，动物室内的通风对于消除动物呼吸、灯光和设备引起的热负荷非常重要。

In order to evaluate effects of housing conditions on rats and rabbits, we investigated variabilities in physiological parameters. Arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and body temperature (BT) were measured by telemetry in conscious unrestrained animals. Rats were housed in individual plastic cages floored with wood shavings. Rabbits were housed in individual FRP cages floored with stainless steel wire. The experimental room, a light-dark cycle (LD 12:12), was maintained under controlled temperature. The physiological signals were continuously recorded every 5 minutes by a telemetry system. These signals changed with a 24-hour cycle (circadian rhythm) in rats and rabbits. Nocturnal patterns, in which the values in the dark phase were higher than those in the light phase, were observed in rats and rabbits. However, BP and HR in rabbits were lower than those in rats. All animals indicated the rhythms of physiological signals in wide range of room temperature (17-30 degrees centigrade). Male cotton rats showed clear peaks of BT after the light off and on. The difference of dark-light temperature in rabbits was less than in rats. The results suggest that temperature above 28 or below 18 degrees centigrade might produce physiological effects to rats and rabbits. A telemetry system may be useful to evaluate effects of housing conditions on rats and rabbits. Rats and rabbits may adapt to extremes by behavioral, physiologic, and morphologic mechanisms, but such adaptation takes time and might alter experimental outcomes or otherwise affect performance. Thus ventilation in animal room is very important to remove thermal loads caused by animal respiration, lights, and equipment.