Putting the Bio in Biobehavioral

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1017-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janean E. Holden
Keyword(s):  
Animal Suffering ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Experimental Protocols ◽  
Animal Use ◽  
Model Improvement ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Optimum Model

Animal models are useful in research that examines physiological mechanisms and, as such, are invaluable in developing therapies to alleviate illness and promote health. Ethical considerations are essential for proper animal use and include replacement by nonanimal models where possible, reduction in the numbers of animals used, and refinement of experimental protocols to reduce animal suffering. Choosing the optimum model depends on the long- and short-term goals of the project, and the choice of a model goes hand in hand with appropriate study design. Five key features to think about when choosing a model are as follows: model asymmetry, necessary differences, specificity to the study, model validity, and model improvement. Appropriate use of both male and female animals has also become an important issue in recent times. These considerations will assist in understanding animal model use.

Amorphous silica nanoparticles induced spleen and liver toxicity after acute intravenous exposure in male and female rats

2021 ◽  
pp. 074823372110105
Author(s):  
Roberta Tassinari ◽  
Andrea Martinelli ◽  
Mauro Valeri ◽  
Francesca Maranghi
Keyword(s):  
Amorphous Silica ◽  
Liver Toxicity ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Histopathological Analysis ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Short Term Treatment ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Target Organs ◽  
Short Term Exposure

Synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) nanomaterial – consisting of aggregates and agglomerates of primary silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles in the nanorange (<100 nm) – is commonly used as excipient in pharmaceuticals, in cosmetics and as food additive (E551). The available data suggest that SAS nanoparticles (NP) after intravenous (IV) exposure persist in liver and spleen; however, insufficient data exist to verify whether SAS may also induce adverse effects. The aim of the present study was to verify the potential long-term effects of SAS NP (NM-203) on spleen and liver as target organs following short-term exposure. Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by IV injection in the tail vein with a single (1-day) dose (SD) and repeated (5-day) doses (RD) of 20 mg/kg bw per day of SAS dispersed in sterile saline solution as vehicle. Histopathological examinations of target organs were performed after 90 days. Tissue biodistribution and full characterization of NM-203, primary particle size 13–45 nm, was performed within the framework of the Nanogenotox project. No mortality or general toxicity occurred; histopathological analysis showed splenomegaly in the RD group accompanied by inflammatory granulomas in both sexes. Granulomas were also present in liver parenchyma in the RD (both sexes) and SD groups (male only). The histopathological results indicated that SAS NP have the potential to persist and induce sex-specific chronic inflammatory lesions in spleen and liver upon short-term treatment. Overall, the data showed that the widespread use of silica in drugs might elicit chronic reactions in spleen and liver prompting to the need of further investigations on the safety of SAS NP.

Short-term feeding behaviour of dairy cows relative to food composition and stage of lactation

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 25-25
Author(s):  
B.L. Nielsen ◽  
N.C. Friggens ◽  
I. Kyriazakis ◽  
B.J. Tolkamp ◽  
G.C. Emmans
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Food Composition ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Voluntary Food Intake

Short-term feeding behaviour (STFB) has been used to elucidate the physiological mechanisms which control eating. It has been proposed as a means by which to predict voluntary food intake, and could be used to quantify behavioural characteristics of the cow. The first step in assessing the usefulness of STFB for these purposes is to identify the major factors which influence STFB. The aim of the study reported here was to evaluate, in dairy cows, the differences in STFB resulting from two different foods, the effect of stage of lactation on STFB, and the effect on STFB of changing from one food to another.

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