scholarly journals Assessment of carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide/oxygen, isoflurane and pentobarbital killing methods in rats

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M Chisholm ◽  
Daniel SJ Pang
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Loss Of Consciousness ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Loss Of Righting Reflex ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
General Order ◽  
Righting Reflex ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractBackground:Exposure to carbon dioxide (CO2) gas as a killing method is aversive and exposure to high concentrations likely to be painful. Bradycardia during exposure to CO2 is associated with nociception and pain. However, it is unclear if bradycardia occurs before loss of consciousness as this is variably defined in the literature. The objectives of this study were to explore the relationship between recumbency, loss of righting reflex (LORR) and a quiescent electromyograph as measures of loss of consciousness, and identify the onset of bradycardia in relation to these measures.Methods:Thirty-two adult, female Sprague-Dawley rats were instrumented with a telemetry device and randomly assigned to one of four killing methods (100% CO2, CO2 (70%)/O2 (30%), isoflurane (5%) and intraperitoneal pentobarbital (200 mg/kg). Time to achieve recumbency, LORR, quiescent electromyograph, isoelectric electrocorticograph, heart rate and apnea were recorded.Results:The general order of progression was recumbency, LORR, quiescent electromyograph, isoelectric electrocorticograph and apnea. Recumbency preceded LORR in the majority of animals (CO2; 7/8, CO2/O2; 8/8, isoflurane; 5/8, pentobarbital; 4/8). Bradycardia occurred before recumbency in the CO2 (p = 0.0002) and CO2/O2 (p = 0.005) groups, with a 50% reduction in heart rate compared to baseline. The slowest (time to apnea) and least consistent killing methods were CO2/O2 (1180 ± 658.1s) and pentobarbital (875 [239 to 4680]s).Conclusion:Bradycardia, and consequently nociception and pain, occurs before loss of consciousness during CO2 exposure. Pentobarbital displayed an unexpected lack of consistency, questioning its classification as an acceptable euthanasia method in rats.

scholarly journals Variation in the onset of CO2-induced anxiety in female Sprague Dawley rats

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucía Améndola ◽  
Anna Ratuski ◽  
Daniel M. Weary
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Loss Of Consciousness ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Laboratory Rats ◽  
Avoidance Testing ◽  
Healthy Humans ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Approach Avoidance

AbstractCarbon dioxide (CO2) is commonly used to kill laboratory rats. Rats find CO2 aversive and aversion varies between individuals, indicating that rats vary in CO2 sensitivity. Healthy humans experience feelings of anxiety at concentrations similar to those avoided by rats, and these feelings are diminished by the administration of benzodiazepines. Our aim was to assess the effects of the benzodiazepine midazolam on individual thresholds of rat aversion to CO2. Six female Sprague Dawley rats were repeatedly exposed to CO2 gradual-fill in approach-avoidance testing. The first three exposures were to a control-treatment followed by three exposures to midazolam (0.375 mg/kg). Within each treatment aversion to CO2 was not affected by exposure number; however, tolerance increased from an average of 10.7% CO2 avoided during control sessions, to 15.5% CO2 avoided when treated with midazolam. These results indicate that rats experience anxiety when exposed to CO2, and that variation in rat CO2 sensitivity is driven by individual differences in the onset of these feelings of anxiety. No rat tolerated CO2 concentrations required to induce loss of consciousness.

Repletion of acute sodium deficit in rats drinking either low or high concentrations of sodium chloride solution

1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (3) ◽  
pp. R419-R425 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Rowland ◽  
M. J. Fregly
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Depletion ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Plasma Parameters ◽  
Sodium Appetite ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Body Sodium ◽  
Excessive Intake ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Cumulative Intake

These studies investigate the relationship between expression of sodium appetite and restoration of physiological normalcy after acute sodium depletion in Sprague-Dawley rats. After depletion (treatment with diuretic and 24 h without NaCl), separate groups of rats were allowed to drink either a low (0.03 M) or a high (0.3 M) concentration of NaCl. Intake and urinary output of sodium and selected plasma measures were made at various times up to 48 h. Depleted rats with access to 0.3 M NaCl consumed more Na+ than their deficit in the first hour and were volume expanded as a result of this excessive intake, but they continued to consume NaCl for 6-12 h. Depleted rats given 0.03 M NaCl drank a comparable volume to the 0.3 M group in the first hour and thus only approximately 10% of the solute. The intake of 0.03 M NaCl slowed after 6-12 h, at which time the cumulative intake matched the deficit and the plasma parameters had returned to nondepleted levels. Under these conditions of slow intake, it appears that sodium appetite is more closely matched to need than is the case when highly concentrated sources of sodium are available. Satiation of sodium appetite seems to require the passage of time as well as repletion of body sodium.

scholarly journals Cardiovascular and Metabolic Responses to Carbon Dioxide Euthanasia in Conscious and Anesthetized Rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 742-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E Nichols ◽  
Kimberly L Holliday-White ◽  
Heather M Bogie ◽  
Kim M Swearingen ◽  
Megan S Fine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Metabolic Responses ◽  
Loss Of Consciousness ◽  
Small Drop ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Chamber Volume ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Physiologic Responses ◽  
Conscious Animals

Euthanasia is a necessary component in research and must be conducted humanely. Currently, regulated CO2 exposure in conscious rats is acceptable, but data are divided on whether CO2 alone is more distressing than anesthesia prior to CO2. To evaluate distress in rats, we compared physiologic responses to CO2 euthanasia with and without isoflurane preanesthesia. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were implanted with telemetry devices to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and blood glucose. Animals recovered for 2 wk and were then exposed to either 5% isoflurane (n = 6) or 100% CO2 (n = 7; calculated 30% chamber volume/min displacement) in their home cages to induce loss of consciousness. Euthanasia was then completed with CO2 in both groups. MAP and HR increased when the gas delivery lids were placed on the home cages of both groups. Both MAP and HR gradually decreased with isoflurane exposure. MAP increased and HR decreased with CO2 exposure. Glucose levels remained stable throughout the procedure, except for a small drop in conscious animals initially exposed to 100% CO2. These data suggest that both gases affect the measured parameters in a similar manner, and that environmental factors, such as gas delivery lid placement, also change these measurements.

scholarly journals Age-related decline in the taurine content of the skin in rodents

Amino Acids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohisa Yoshimura ◽  
Yuki Inokuchi ◽  
Chikako Mutou ◽  
Takanobu Sakurai ◽  
Tohru Nagahama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Taurine Supplementation ◽  
Hairless Mice ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Effects Of Aging

AbstractTaurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, occurs at high concentrations in the skin, and plays a role in maintaining the homeostasis of the skin. We investigated the effects of aging on the content and localization of taurine in the skin of mice and rats. Taurine was extracted from the skin samples of hairless mice and Sprague Dawley rats, and the taurine content of the skin was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results of the investigation revealed that the taurine content in both the dermis and epidermis of hairless mice declined significantly with age. Similar age-related decline in the skin taurine content was also observed in rats. In contrast, the taurine content in the sole remained unchanged with age. An immunohistochemical analysis also revealed a decreased skin taurine content in aged animals compared with younger animals, although no significant differences in the localization of taurine were observed between the two age groups. Supplementation of the drinking water of aged mice with 3% (w/v) taurine for 4 weeks increased the taurine content of the epidermis, but not the dermis. The present study showed for the first time that the taurine content of the skin decreased with age in mice and rats, which may be related to the impairment of the skin homeostasis observed with aging. The decreased taurine content of the epidermis in aged animals was able to be rescued by taurine supplementation.

Time course of airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling induced by hyperoxia in rats

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (2) ◽  
pp. L227-L233 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Szarek ◽  
H. L. Ramsay ◽  
A. Andringa ◽  
M. L. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Hyperresponsiveness ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Electrical Field Stimulation ◽  
Maximal Response ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Electrical Field ◽  
Muscle Area ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this study was to answer two questions concerning hyperoxia-induced airway hyperresponsiveness: 1) What is the time course of the development of airway hyperresponsiveness? 2) What is the relationship between the increase in responsiveness and smooth muscle area? Segments of intrapulmonary bronchi were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats that had been exposed to 80-85% O2 for a period of 1, 3, 5, or 7 days and from aged-matched control animals that breathed room air. Hyperoxia increased the sensitivity (log concentration or frequency that elicited a half-maximal response) and reactivity (maximum tension developed) of the airways to electrical field stimulation (EFS) after 3, 5, and 7 days; sensitivity to acetylcholine was not affected, but reactivity was increased after 7 days. Hyperoxia increased smooth muscle area beginning 5 days after commencing the exposure. After normalizing tension responses to smooth muscle area, reactivity of the airways to the stimuli was not different between the two groups, but sensitivity to EFS was still increased. The increase in reactivity observed after 5 and 7 days of exposure can be explained by an increase in smooth muscle area that occurred at these time points. The fact that the sensitivity of the airways to EFS remained increased after normalization, together with the fact that the increase in airway responsiveness after 3 days of exposure occurred at a time when smooth muscle area was not different from control, suggests that mechanisms other than increased smooth muscle area contribute to the development of hyperoxia-induced airway hyperresponsiveness.

Defect in the Renal Tubular Reabsorption of Water Associated With Potassium Depletion in Rats

1957 ◽  
Vol 189 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Hollander ◽  
Robert W. Winters ◽  
T. Franklin Williams ◽  
John Bradley ◽  
Jean Oliver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Concentration ◽  
Potassium Depletion ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Renal Tubular Reabsorption ◽  
Renal Concentrating Mechanism ◽  
Renal Tubular ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
K Depletion

The effect of graded degrees of K depletion on the ability to produce a concentrated urine was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. With increasing degrees of K depletion, as measured by the concentration of K in fat-free skeletal muscle, there was a progrossive decrease in the maximum urinary concentration. This defect of the renal concentrating mechanism appeared to be better correlated with the degree than with the duration of potassium depletion and could be demonstrated either by the use of exogenous vasopressin or by water deprivation. The potassium-deficient rats in at least one experiment developed a significant polydipsia. The data do not allow any conclusions with respect to the relationship of the polydipsia to the renal concentrating defect except that the latter at least was not severe at the onset of the increased water intake.

scholarly journals Aversion to Desflurane and Isoflurane in Sprague-Dawley Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina Frost ◽  
Maaria Shah ◽  
Vivian S.Y. Leung ◽  
Daniel S.J. Pang
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Exposure Time ◽  
Washout Period ◽  
Rattus Norvegicus ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Avoidance Paradigm ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats

Carbon dioxide and isoflurane are widely used for killing rats, yet may not truly achieve “euthanasia”, because they elicit aversion. The inhalant anesthetic desflurane is faster acting than isoflurane, representing a potential refinement. Using an aversion-avoidance paradigm, 24 rats were exposed to isoflurane or desflurane (n = 12 per group) at initial exposure. Fourteen rats were then re-exposed to isoflurane or desflurane (n = 7 per group), after a 7 days washout period. Initial exposure: time to recumbency was faster for desflurane than isoflurane (p = 0.0008, 95% CI [-12.9 to 32.6 s]), with 9/12 and 6/12 rats becoming recumbent, respectively. At initial exposure, there was no difference between groups in time to withdrawal (p = 0.714). At re-exposure, all rats withdrew and no rats became recumbent. Time to withdrawal at re-exposure did not differ between treatment groups (p = 0.083). Compared to initial exposure, time to withdrawal during re-exposure was similar for isoflurane (p = 0.228) and faster with desflurane (p = 0.012, 95% CI [19.1 to 49.5 s]). Isoflurane and desflurane are similarly aversive, with aversion increasing at re-exposure. The shorter time from exposure to recumbency with desflurane indicates that any distress is of a shorter duration when compared with isoflurane.

A STANDARDIZED METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK IN THE RAT

1955 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. G. Downie ◽  
J. A. F. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Hemorrhagic Shock ◽  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Rectal Temperature ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Standardized Method

Although the blood pressure is one of the important criteria in the standardization of hemorrhagic shock in the dog, it has rarely been used for this purpose in the rat. A method resembling the reservoir technique developed by Wiggers and Werle (1942) for the dog using blood pressure as the criterion has been modified for use with the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing approximately 400 gm. were used. In the standardization of this technique the blood pressure was reduced to 30 mm. Hg in a 10-min. period of hemorrhage and then maintained at this level by subsequent small hemorrhages into the reservoir until reinfusion indicated the beginning of vascular collapse, at which time all the blood in the reservoir was returned. Considering that those animals which lived longer than 48 hr. were survivors, in a series of 27 animals, 21 died and 6 survived—a mortality rate of 78%.During the hypotensive period there was a consistent and steady drop in the respiratory rate and rectal temperature. The heart rate declined initially and tended to recover as the hypotensive period progressed. After reinfusion the blood pressure rose but. did not reach prehemorrhage levels. Hemorrhage into the bowel and convulsions were significant postreinfusion findings.

Decreased vascular sensitivity to norepinephrine following exercise training

1981 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Wiegman ◽  
P. D. Harris ◽  
I. G. Joshua ◽  
F. N. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Maximal Increase ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Vascular Sensitivity ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Alpha Chloralose

Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats (230 +/- 9 g; mean +/- SE) were exercised daily for 6 wk by swimming 1 h/day with weights (5% of body wt) attached to their tails. Nineteen additional rats (237 +/- 8 g) remained sedentary in their cages. All animals were anesthetized with urethan (800 mg/kg) and alpha-chloralose (60 mg/kg). In the first series of experiments, increasing doses of norepinephrine were injected into the jugular vein and the responses in mean arterial blood pressure was recorded from a cannulated femoral artery. Exercise training had no effect on the maximal increase in blood pressure, but significantly decreased blood pressure sensitivity to norepinephrine, expressed as a pD2 value (=-log ED 50), from 5.64 +/- 0.07 to 5.20 +/- 0.06. In the second series, the cremaster muscle with intact circulation and innervation was suspended in a tissue bath and norepinephrine in increasing concentrations was added to the cremaster bath. The responses of the main arteriole (approximately 110 micron) and venule (approximately 170 micron) were recorded by television microscopy. Exercise training had no effect on vessel diameters of resting muscle or on the maximal vessel constrictions obtained in response to high concentrations of norepinephrine. Arteriole sensitivity to norepinephrine was significantly decreased (pD2 of 6.69 +/- 0.24 vs. 5.96 +/- 0.18) and there was some tendency for reduced venule sensitivity. These data suggest that exercise training in rats produces a decrease in alpha- or an increase in beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity.

Dietary obesity and weight cycling in rats: a model of stress-induced hypertension?

1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (4) ◽  
pp. R848-R857 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Contreras ◽  
S. King ◽  
L. Rives ◽  
A. Williams ◽  
T. Wattleton
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Sodium Excretion ◽  
Mild Hypertension ◽  
Weight Cycling ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Sweetened Condensed Milk ◽  
Condensed Milk ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Dietary Obesity

The present study was designed to reproduce the mild hypertension seen in dietary obese weight-cycled rats [P. Ernsberger and D. O. Nelson. Am. J. Physiol. 254 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 23): R47-R55, 1988] and determine whether this mild hypertension was associated with changes in sodium excretion and pressor responsiveness to angiotensin II (ANG II). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed pelleted chow (Pellet group) or chow plus sweetened condensed milk (Milk group) or were exposed to four cycles of a 4-day fast alternated with 2 wk of refeeding of pelleted chow and sweetened condensed milk (Cycled group). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured by tail cuff at the onset and last day of each fast and after 3 days of refeeding. During fasting, urine sodium excretion was measured. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate responses to intravenous administration of ANG II (40, 80, and 120 ng/kg), metoprolol (1 mg/kg), and methyl scopolamine (2 mg/kg) were obtained from the femoral artery in awake unrestrained rats. Weight cycling did not lead to mild hypertension or increased bradycardic response to sympathetic blockade with metoprolol. ANG II-elicited pressor responses were similar for Pellet, Milk, and Cycled groups. Sodium excretion did not change with fasting. Mild hypertension developed when obese weight-cycled rats were housed together in groups and not when housed individually. Our preliminary data are consistent with the notion that stress associated with group housing may be a factor in the mild hypertension of obese weight-cycled rats.

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