scholarly journals Aqualabyrinth – A New Enrichment for Laboratory Zebrafish Under Analysis for Future Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothee Therrien ◽  
Aurore Dodelet-Devilliers
Keyword(s):  
Danio Rerio ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Aquatic Species ◽  
Test Interval ◽  
Research Article ◽  
Future Production ◽  
Fish Tanks

Abstract In the field of laboratory animals, there have been considerable improvements in environmental enrichment for mammalian species, but little remains available for aquatic species, in particular fish. Recent publications have shown benefits in providing laboratory Zebrafish (Danio rerio) certain types of enrichments, such as substrate and plants. This research article proposes a novel tank enrichment called the Aqualabyrinth, and the benefit of its use in laboratory Zebrafish. While the enrichment won 3rd place at the 2020 Janet Wood Innovation Award (JWIA) competition, the Aqualabyrinth is not yet available on the market. This novel enrichment proposes similar if not more qualities than current aquatic enrichments commercially available. More specifically, its ease of usage, maintenance, and modular configuration options make it an ideal choice for Laboratory fish tanks. Results showed interaction on average up to 10.5 per 3 fish within a 30 second test interval versus 6.25 per 3 fish within 30 seconds interval for a mouse igloo. With the additional benefits highlighted in this study, the Aqualabyrinth proves to be an efficient and practical environmental enrichment option, pending collaboration with interested manufacturers.

scholarly journals Enrichment Increases Aggression in Zebrafish

Fishes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Woodward ◽  
Lucy Winder ◽  
Penelope Watt
Keyword(s):  
Danio Rerio ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Fertilisation Success ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Over Time

Environmental enrichment, or the enhancement of an animal’s surroundings when in captivity to maximise its wellbeing, has been increasingly applied to fish species, particularly those used commercially. Laboratory species could also benefit from enrichment, but it is not always clear what constitutes an enriched environment. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is used widely in research and is one of the most commonly-used laboratory animals. We investigated whether changing the structural complexity of housing tanks altered the behaviour of one strain of zebrafish. Fish were kept in three treatments: (1) very enhanced (VE); (2) mildly enhanced (ME); and (3) control (CT). Level of aggression, fertilisation success, and growth were measured at regular intervals in a subset of fish in each treatment group. The VE fish were more aggressive over time than either ME or CT fish, both in the number of attacks they made against a mirror image and in their tendency to stay close to their reflection rather than avoid it. Furthermore, VE fish were shorter than CT fish by the end of the experiment, though mass was not significantly affected. There was no significant effect of treatment on fertilisation success. These findings suggest that the way in which fish are housed in the laboratory can significantly affect their behaviour, and potentially, their growth. The zebrafish is a shoaling species with a dominance hierarchy, and so may become territorial over objects placed in the tank. The enrichment of laboratory tanks should consider aspects of the species’ behaviour.

scholarly journals Environmental Enrichment of Nonhuman Primates, Dogs and Rabbits Used in Toxicology Studies

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 132-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A.L. Bayne
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Animal Care

The increasing emphasis on the provision of environmental enrichment to laboratory animals, vis-à-vis the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC 1996), and a potential forthcoming policy from the USDA on the subject, can be difficult to accommodate in a toxicology research environment. A summary will be provided of current requirements and recommendations. Then, strategies for meeting regulatory requirements will be described for non-rodent animals used in toxicology research. These strategies will address methods of both social enrichment, such as pair or group housing, as well as non-social enrichment, such as cage furniture, food enrichments, and toys. In addition, the value of positive interactions with staff (e.g., through training paradigms or socialization programs) will also be discussed. Apparent in the discussion of these strategies will be an overarching recognition of the necessity to avoid introducing confounding variables into the research project and to avoid compromising animal health. The roles of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the attending veterinarian in helping scientists balance animal well-being, the scientific enterprise and the regulatory environment will be described.

Simple shelter-style environmental enrichment alters behavior in mice

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Coke-Murphy ◽  
Matthew Buendia ◽  
Tommy Saborido ◽  
Gregg Stanwood
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Strain Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Y Maze ◽  
Elevated Maze ◽  
Improved Learning ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractEnvironmental enrichment aims to improve the well-being of laboratory animals and provides an opportunity to improve experimental reliability and validity. Animals raised in more stimulating environments have improved learning and memory as well as more complex brain architecture. However, the effects of environmental enrichment on motor performance, anxiety and emotional development have been poorly studied. Moreover, most investigators studying the effects of enrichment provide extremely large and complex housing conditions to maximize the likelihood of finding effects. These situations are difficult to replicate across animal facilities and are not operationally practical. In this experiment, we investigated how simple, inexpensive disposable shelterstyle enrichment items alter behavior in C57Bl/6 and 129S6 mice. Breeding pairs were established in the presence of a Ketchum “Refuge”, Shepherd Shack “Dome”, or no enrichment. Offspring were assessed neurobehaviorally, either just after weaning (pre-adolescent, P22–P25), or as young adults (P60–P90). Major strain differences were observed in open field activity, elevated maze exploration, and Y-maze activity levels. The presence of the Refuge and/or Dome enrichment shelters significantly altered motor activity, coordination and some measures of anxiety. Mice housed in the presence of shelters were also less dominant than control mice in a tube test assay. Our experiments provide a detailed analysis of the effects of inexpensive and practical methods of housing enrichment on biobehavioral phenotypes in these two commonly used strains of laboratory mice, and suggest that the effects of these shelters on mouse neurobiology and behavior need to be rigorously analyzed before being adopted within vivariums.

scholarly journals A comparison of the distribution and morphology of ChAT-, VAChT-immunoreactive and AChE-positive neurons in the thoracolumbar and sacral spinal cord of the pig

2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 434-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Calka ◽  
M. Zalecki ◽  
K. Wasowicz ◽  
M.B. Arciszewski ◽  
M. Lakomy
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Cholinergic Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Population ◽  
Central Canal ◽  
Ventral Horn ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Unique Region ◽  
Intermediolateral Nucleus ◽  
Sacral Spinal Cord

Present knowledge concerning the organization of cholinergic structures of the spinal cord has been derived primarily from studies on small laboratory animals, while there is a complete lack of information concerning its structure in the pig. In the present study we employed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) immunocytochemistry and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry to identify the cholinergic neuronal population in the thoracolumbar and sacral spinal cord of the pig. The distribution of ChAT-, VAChT- and AChE-positive cells was found to be similar. Distinct groups of cholinergic neurons were observed in the gray matter of the ventral horn, intermediolateral nucleus, intermediomedial nucleus as well as individual stained cells were found in the area around the central canal and in the base of the dorsal horn. Double staining confirmed complete colocalization of ChAT with AChE in the ventral horn and intermediolateral nucleus although in the intermediomedial nucleus only 64% of the AChE-positive neurons expressed ChAT-immunoreactivity, indicating unique, region restricted, diversity of ChAT and AChE staining. Our results revealed details concerning spatial distribution and morphological features of the cholinergic neurons in the thoracolumbar and sacral spinal cord of the pig. We also found that the pattern of distribution of cholinergic neurons in the porcine spinal cord shows great similarity to the organization of the cholinergic system in other mammalian species studied.

A FLUORESCENCE ASSAY OF PROGESTERONE

1964 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. HEAP
Keyword(s):  
Paper Chromatography ◽  
Quantitative Estimation ◽  
Ovarian Tissue ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase ◽  
Fluorescence Assay ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Chromatographic Purification ◽  
Ether Extraction ◽  
Fluorescence Reaction

SUMMARY A fluorescence assay for the quantitative estimation of progesterone has been developed. The method consists of ether extraction of progesterone from alkali-treated tissue or plasma, isolation by descending paper chromatography, conversion to 20β-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one using the enzyme 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, purification by paper chromatography and fluorimetric estimation of the 20β-hydroxy isomer in 2:1 conc. H2SO2: 80% ethanol reagent. The addition of a trace amount of [4-14C]progesterone to each sample was used to correct for losses incurred during the above procedure. The method was more sensitive and more specific than available methods of chemical estimation. Increased specificity was achieved by a number of modifying stages including enzymic conversion and chromatographic purification, the fluorescence reaction being carefully controlled to overcome its lack of specificity. The fluorescence of eluted paper blanks had a consistently low value of 4·5 ± 0·1 nanogram (ng.) Recoveries of known amounts of steroid from male guinea-pig plasma were 38·3 ± 7·3% and 35·4 ± 3·3%, measured by fluorescence assay and 14C counting respectively. Progesterone was estimated in rabbit ovarian tissue by fluorescence assay and u.v. spectrophotometry when the concentrations were sufficiently high. The fluorescence assay gave values which were slightly lower than by spectrophotometry. The technique has been applied routinely to blood plasma and other tissues of several mammalian species including laboratory animals.

scholarly journals Preferences for nesting material as environmental enrichment for laboratory mice

1997 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Van de Weerd ◽  
P. L. P. Van Loo ◽  
L. F. M. Van Zutphen ◽  
J. M. Koolhaas ◽  
V. Baumans
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Preference Test ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Laboratory Mice ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Specific Behaviour ◽  
Nesting Material ◽  
Species Specific

Behavioural and psychological needs of laboratory animals generally cannot adequately be met in standard laboratory cages. Environmental enrichment, which provides a more structured environment can enhance the well-being of laboratory animals. They may perform more of their species-specific behaviour and may control their environment in a better way. An easily applicable form of enrichment for laboratory mice is nesting material. Six different types of nesting materials were evaluated in a preference test with male and female animals of two strains (C57BL/6J or BALB/c, n=48). No significant differences in preference were found between the strains or between the sexes. All mice showed a clear preference for cages with tissues or towels as compared to paper strips or no nesting material, and for cages with cotton string or wood-wool as compared to wood shavings or no nesting material. Paper-derived materials were preferred over wood-derived materials, although the results also suggest that the nature (paper or wood) of the nesting material is less important than its structure, which determines the nestability of the material. Nesting material may be a relatively simple method to contribute to the well-being of laboratory mice.

Alteration of Energy Metabolism and Antioxidative Processing in the Hippocampus of Rats Reared in Long-Term Environmental Enrichment

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 186-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee Kang ◽  
Dong-Hee Choi ◽  
Su-Kang Kim ◽  
Jongmin Lee ◽  
Youn-Jung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Energy Metabolism ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Synaptic Activity ◽  
Antioxidant Defenses ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Oxidative Stress Marker ◽  
Altered Expression

Environmental enrichment (EE) is a typical experimental method that promotes levels of novelty and complexity that enhance experience-dependent neuroplasticity and cognitive behavior function in laboratory animals. Early EE is associated with resilience in the face of later-life challenges. Since increased synaptic activity enhances endogenous neuronal antioxidant defenses, we hypothesized that long-term EE beginning at an early stage may alter the levels of oxidative stress. We investigated global protein expression and oxidative stress in hippocampal proteins from rats nurtured for a 6-month EE beginning in the prenatal period. The analysis of protein expression was carried out using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis with matrix-associated laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Proteins with altered expression were involved in energy metabolism (phosphoglycerate mutase 1, α-enolase isoform 1, adenylate kinase 1, and triose phosphate isomerase) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione S-transferase ω type 1, peroxiredoxin 5, DJ-1, and glial maturation factor β). Using Western blot assays, some of the proteins with altered expression and NADPH oxidase 2 were confirmed to be decreased. Further confirmation was demonstrated with attenuated expression of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-deoxyguanine, a DNA oxidative stress marker, in the hippocampus of EE group rats. Our data demonstrate that a long-term EE program beginning in the prenatal and early postnatal phase of development modulates energy metabolism and reduced oxidant stress possibly through enhanced synaptic activity. We provide evidence that EE can be developed as a tool to protect the brain from oxidative stress-induced injury.

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