scholarly journals Evaluation of an enrichment programme for a colony of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in a rescue centre

Primates ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Albanese ◽  
Michela Kuan ◽  
Pier Attilio Accorsi ◽  
Roberta Berardi ◽  
Giovanna Marliani
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Macaca Fascicularis ◽  
Activity Budget ◽  
Control Session ◽  
Abnormal Behaviour ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Low Rate

AbstractLong-tailed macaques are highly social primates that are commonly used in biomedical research as animal models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different kinds of enrichment on the behaviour and faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) level in a colony of ex-laboratory long-tailed macaques during a programme of rehabilitation. The research was carried out in three periods, divided into two sessions each. Every period was composed of one control session (SC) and one session characterised by one type of enrichment: feeding enrichment (FE), manipulative enrichment (ME), and the last session during which manipulative and feeding enrichment were provided every day but in a mixed way (MIX). The results showed that manipulative and mixed enrichments caused positive changes to the activity budget of the colony, with a decrease in abnormal behaviour rates and an increase in play compared with control sessions. The rate of affiliative behaviours and low rate of aggression were probably because the group was composed mostly of females and it was stable, with a well-defined hierarchy. The research underlines the importance of a well-studied enrichment programme for the welfare of captive animals, which should exploit species-specific motivations.

scholarly journals Consideration of Gut Microbiome in Murine Models of Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Chunye Zhang ◽  
Craig L. Franklin ◽  
Aaron C. Ericsson
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Disease Model ◽  
Potential Contributor ◽  
Potential Factors ◽  
Models Of Disease ◽  
The Impact

The gut microbiome (GM), a complex community of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi located in the gut of humans and animals, plays significant roles in host health and disease. Animal models are widely used to investigate human diseases in biomedical research and the GM within animal models can change due to the impact of many factors, such as the vendor, husbandry, and environment. Notably, variations in GM can contribute to differences in disease model phenotypes, which can result in poor reproducibility in biomedical research. Variation in the gut microbiome can also impact the translatability of animal models. For example, standard lab mice have different pathogen exposure experiences when compared to wild or pet store mice. As humans have antigen experiences that are more similar to the latter, the use of lab mice with more simplified microbiomes may not yield optimally translatable data. Additionally, the literature describes many methods to manipulate the GM and differences between these methods can also result in differing interpretations of outcomes measures. In this review, we focus on the GM as a potential contributor to the poor reproducibility and translatability of mouse models of disease. First, we summarize the important role of GM in host disease and health through different gut–organ axes and the close association between GM and disease susceptibility through colonization resistance, immune response, and metabolic pathways. Then, we focus on the variation in the microbiome in mouse models of disease and address how this variation can potentially impact disease phenotypes and subsequently influence research reproducibility and translatability. We also discuss the variations between genetic substrains as potential factors that cause poor reproducibility via their effects on the microbiome. In addition, we discuss the utility of complex microbiomes in prospective studies and how manipulation of the GM through differing transfer methods can impact model phenotypes. Lastly, we emphasize the need to explore appropriate methods of GM characterization and manipulation.

scholarly journals Methods Used and Application of the Mouse Grimace Scale in Biomedical Research 10 Years On: A Scoping Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 673
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. Whittaker ◽  
Yifan Liu ◽  
Timothy H. Barker
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Facial Features ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
Wide Range

The Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) was developed 10 years ago as a method for assessing pain through the characterisation of changes in five facial features or action units. The strength of the technique is that it is proposed to be a measure of spontaneous or non-evoked pain. The time is opportune to map all of the research into the MGS, with a particular focus on the methods used and the technique’s utility across a range of mouse models. A comprehensive scoping review of the academic literature was performed. A total of 48 articles met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The MGS has been employed mainly in the evaluation of acute pain, particularly in the pain and neuroscience research fields. There has, however, been use of the technique in a wide range of fields, and based on limited study it does appear to have utility for pain assessment across a spectrum of animal models. Use of the method allows the detection of pain of a longer duration, up to a month post initial insult. There has been less use of the technique using real-time methods and this is an area in need of further research.

scholarly journals Refinements to Animal Models for Biomedical Research

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2425
Author(s):  
Gabrielle C. Musk
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Special Issue

This collection includes the manuscripts published in the Special Issue of Animals: Refinements to Animal Models for Biomedical Research [...]

Epistemology and the Ethics of Animal Experimentation

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-96
Author(s):  
Mylan Engel Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Animal Experimentation ◽  
Proper Treatment ◽  
Continued Use

In this chapter, Mylan Engel Jr. argues that animal experimentation is neither epistemically nor morally justified and should be abolished. Engel argues that the only serious attempt at justifying animal experimentation is the benefits argument, according to which animal experiments are justified because the benefits that humans receive from the experiments outweigh the costs imposed on the animal subjects. According to Engel, the benefits we allegedly receive from animal-based biomedical research are primarily epistemic, in that experimenting on animal models is supposed to provide us with knowledge of the origin and proper treatment of human disease. However, Engel argues that animal models are extremely unreliable at predicting how drugs will behave in humans, whether candidate drugs will be safe in humans, and whether candidate drugs will be effective in humans. Engel concludes that animal-based research fails to provide the epistemic, and thereby moral, benefits needed to justify its continued use.

Using Animal Models in Biomedical Research

10.1142/6454 ◽  
2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierce K H Chow ◽  
Robert T H Ng ◽  
Bryan E Ogden
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Biomedical Research

scholarly journals Embryo-Based Large Fragment Knock-in in Mammals: Why, How and What’s Next

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Erwood ◽  
Bin Gu
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Genome Editing ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Genetic Modification ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Model Generation ◽  
Large Fragment ◽  
Diverse Range

Endonuclease-mediated genome editing technologies, most notably CRISPR/Cas9, have revolutionized animal genetics by allowing for precise genome editing directly through embryo manipulations. As endonuclease-mediated model generation became commonplace, large fragment knock-in remained one of the most challenging types of genetic modification. Due to their unique value in biological and biomedical research, however, a diverse range of technological innovations have been developed to achieve efficient large fragment knock-in in mammalian animal model generation, with a particular focus on mice. Here, we first discuss some examples that illustrate the importance of large fragment knock-in animal models and then detail a subset of the recent technological advancements that have allowed for efficient large fragment knock-in. Finally, we envision the future development of even larger fragment knock-ins performed in even larger animal models, the next step in expanding the potential of large fragment knock-in in animal models.

Of mice and models: improved animal models for biomedical research

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Bockamp ◽  
Marko Maringer ◽  
Christian Spangenberg ◽  
Stephan Fees ◽  
Stuart Fraser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Mouse Genome ◽  
Gene Knockout ◽  
Genetic Disorders ◽  
Murine Models ◽  
Good State ◽  
Basic And Applied Research

The ability to engineer the mouse genome has profoundly transformed biomedical research. During the last decade, conventional transgenic and gene knockout technologies have become invaluable experimental tools for modeling genetic disorders, assigning functions to genes, evaluating drugs and toxins, and by and large helping to answer fundamental questions in basic and applied research. In addition, the growing demand for more sophisticated murine models has also become increasingly evident. Good state-of-principle knowledge about the enormous potential of second-generation conditional mouse technology will be beneficial for any researcher interested in using these experimental tools. In this review we will focus on practice, pivotal principles, and progress in the rapidly expanding area of conditional mouse technology. The review will also present an internet compilation of available tetracycline-inducible mouse models as tools for biomedical research ( http://www.zmg.uni-mainz.de/tetmouse/ ).

Neonatal Mouse Bone Supports Growth Of Primary Myeloma Cells Ex Vivo and Assessment Of Responses To Antimyeloma Drugs

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 1893-1893
Author(s):  
Attaya Suvannasankha ◽  
Douglas R Tompkins ◽  
Kateryna Petyaykina ◽  
Colin D. Crean ◽  
Keith W Condon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Cell Survival ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Bone Disease ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Neonatal Mouse ◽  
Rank Ligand ◽  
Myeloma Bone Disease ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract A barrier to optimizing treatment for multiple myeloma (MM) is the lack of a convenient assay to determine drug-responsiveness in individual patients. Although primary MM cells are routinely obtained from patient bone marrow aspirates, CD138+ cells die too rapidly in culture to be analyzed. We hypothesized that primary MM cell survival requires the bone microenvironment to provide the necessary soil for the growth of the cancer cell seeds. Immunodeficient animal models contain a complete multicellular bone marrow microenvironment, including extracellular matrix, and will support engraftment of patient MM cells. However, intact animal models are too slow, complex and expensive to provide timely and clinically useful predictions of individual tumor behavior and responses to drugs. We hypothesized that a well-established model for studying bone in culture could be adapted to support the growth of primary MM cells and to study myeloma bone disease. We developed an ex vivo organ coculture assay (EVOCA), with neonatal mouse calvarial bones providing the soil to support tumor cell growth. Human MM cell lines and primary MM cells were successfully cocultured with immune-naïve neonatal hemi-calvariae for up to 2 weeks. EVOCA was optimized to support bone and MM cell survival and analyzed by histology and by PCR with species-specific primers for changes in expression of tumor (human) and host (mouse) genes. Four human MM cell lines (8226, H929, U266 and JJN3) and primary CD138+ cells from 5 patients (1 freshly isolated and 4 from previously frozen cells) survived for > one week in calvarial cultures, using as few as 104 cells. Both primary MM cells and CD138+ cells were detected by immunohistochemistry for human CD138 after 2 weeks and by species-specific RT-PCR for the human housekeeping gene RPL32. Appropriate responses of mouse bones to MM were observed at 2-4 days, including increased osteolysis by histology, RANK ligand mRNA by PCR and osteoclast numbers by TRAP staining. To determine responsivness of MM to anti-myeloma drugs, cells were cultured with calvariae for 48 hours to establish engraftment, then the EVOCA was treated with 10 uM lenalidomide, 10 nM bortezomib, or 10nM carfilzomib. Anti-myeloma treatments attenuated the bone responses including reduction of RANKL. Primary MM cells from different patients varied in responsiveness to different drugs. Among 5 samples tested, primary cells obtained at the time of diagnosis were more responsive to anti-myeloma drugs in blunting induction of RANK ligand compared to MM cells obtained at the time of relapse. EVOCA, based on neonatal mouse calvariae supporting human MM cells, provides a useful platform for studies of myeloma bone disease. The assay can be run and analzyed in two weeks with 104CD138+ cells (freshly isolated or from frozen stock) per well, making it practical to determine individual patient sensitivity to a panel of currently available anti-myeloma drugs at initial diagnosis or at relapse. This could permit rational selection of personalized MM therapy. EVOCA could also be used to develop novel myeloma drugs that target tumor or bone by efficiently testing them in a physiologically relevant setting. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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