Laboratory Animals

Between 1982 and 1987 sera from 4952 New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) obtained from a single commercial supplier were tested for the presence of antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi. A commercially available carbon immunoassay test kit was used. Initially 32·9% of the rabbits were seropositive with the number progressively decreasing to 2·3% by 1987. The reason for the significant decline in the incidence of infection was most likely due to a selection process for breeding stock instituted by the supplier based upon productivity, posture and weight of each animal.

Food intake, growth and protein utilization were studied in the Helix aspersa snail by means of a nutritional balance experiment. This was designed in a 5·11 factorial arrangement involving 5 diets of different protein content (10·0, 12·5, 15·0, 17·5 and 20·0%) and 11 animal ages (ranging over 15 to 180 days of age). Dietary protein content and animal age determined food intake and protein utilization. The variations of dry matter and protein intake rates, growth rates, growth effeciency factors and protein retention rates, depending on dietary protein content or animal age were in agreement with what happens in other animals. These results suggest that there is no need to use diets with more than 17·5% of crude protein in these animals.

The microscopic features of a spontaneous uterine granular cell tumour in a Fischer 344 rat are described. The location of the tumour is novel for the rat. The neoplasm is characterized by the presence of cells with cytoplasmic granules which were PAS positive and diastase resistant. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry results are presented and the origin of the tumour is discussed.

In order to test for the presence of genes influencing morphology on the Y-chromosome of mice, a canonical discriminant analysis of variation in mandible shape was conducted in 4 inbred strains of mice and 4 Y-chromosome congenic partners. Genetic background-dependent differences were observed, as well as a small sex variation in some strains, but it was impossible to detect any difference related to the between-strain exchange of the Y-chromosome.

The design and use of a simple system for the intragastric administration of miniature capsules or fluids to fully conscious guineapigs is described. The system is suitable for repeated drug administration. It causes minimal discomfort to the animals.

The effect of nonviable Mycobacterium paratuberculosis on the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in mice was evaluated by means of delayed-type footpad swelling. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection with nonviable M. paratuberculosis into mice from 28 days before to 1 day after immunization with SRBC resulted in a significant suppression of footpad swelling to SRBC. The suppressive effect could be transferred by i.p. injection of spleen cells or peritoneal exudate cells from mice which had been pre-treated with nonviable M. paratuberculosis into non-treated recipient mice. The suppressive effect of spleen cells was retained even after passing them through a nylon wool column. The suppressive effect of spleen cells was abolished by treatment with anti-Thy 1·2 monoclonal antibody plus complement or anti-Lyt 2·2monoclonal antibody plus complement. However. treatment of spleen cells with anti-mouse γ globulin antiserum plus complement or anti-Lyt 1·2monoclonal antibody plus complement did not affect the. suppressive effect of spleen cells. Thesuppression of footpad swelling to SRBC induced by pre-treatment with nonviable M. paratuberculosis could be reversed by i.p. administration of cyclophosphamide. Serum antibody response to SRBC in mice was not affected by pre-treatment with nonviable M. paratuberculosis. These findings indicate that T cells appear to be involved in the suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to SRBC in mice by pre-treatment with nonviable M. paratuberculosis.

Pain following thoracotomy reduces pulmonary ventilation in man and a similar effect is believed to occur in animals. The effects of two analgesic regimens on arterial blood gas parameters were studied in dogs following thoracotomy. Postoperative analgesia was provided with intermittent nalbuphine, either alone or in combination with an intercostal nerve block using bupivacaine. Arterial blood gas analysis was carried out at 4, 8 and 16h post-operatively, both before the administration of nalbuphine and again 30 min later. Animals which received nalbuphine alone had a significant rise in arterial oxygenation following administration of this analgesic. This effect was not observed at 4 and 8h postoperatively in dogs which had an intercostal block with bupivacaine, but was seen at 16h post-operatively when it could be anticipated that the effects of bupivacaine would have waned. These results suggest that intercostal block with bupivacaine can provide analgesia for over 8h, and that the duration of action of nalbuphine in controlling post-operative pain in the dog is probably less than 4h.

In an attempt to assess possible discomfort in rats subjected to orbital puncture while under diethylether anaesthesia, their endocrine stress response was determined. Concentrations of corticosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline were measured in plasma obtained via a jugular catheter from rats subjected to diethyl-ether anaesthesia with or without orbital puncture. No statistically significant differences were found between the punctured and non-punctured rats as to peak levels of plasma corticosterone and adrenaline as well as for the times required by the increased concentrations to return to baseline values. The rate by which the plasma noradrenaline level returned to baseline values was somewhat decreased by orbital puncture. Diethyl-ether anaesthesia alone produced a marked endocrine response when compared with handling and novelty stress associated with the induction of anaesthesia. It is concluded that diethyl-ether anaesthesia causes pronounced increases in the plasma levels of the selected stress hormones and that orbital puncture does not amplify this response. It is suggested that diethyl-ether anaesthesia masks any effects of orbital puncture.

Massive, toxic doses of vitamin D have been shown to cause nephrocalcinosis in rats, but the effect of this vitamin within its range of fluctuation in commercial rat diets was unknown. Therefore, in two experiments with young female rats, the effect on nephrocalcinosis of a moderately increased level of vitamin D in the diet was studied, that is 5000 IU/kg versus the recommended concentration of 1000 IU/kg. This was done using purified diets with 0·5% (w/w) calcium and 0·04% magnesium containing either 0·2 or 0·06 phosphorus (P). Rats fed the diets containing 0·06%P showed severe kidney calcification compared to those fed the 0·2%-P diets. The level of vitamin D in the 0·2 and 0·6%-Pdiets did not affect kidney calcification. Bone density was increased after feeding diets containing 5000 instead of 1000 IV of vitamin D/kg. This study suggests that, within 28 days, a moderate increase of the amount of vitamin D in the diet has no influence on the development of kidney calcification. This in turn suggests that the variation in nephrocalcinosis severity and incidence seen in practice in rats fed different commercial diets is unlikely to be related to the different vitamin D concentrations in these diets. However, in rats fed such diets bone metabolism may be influenced differently.

Pasteurella multocida A:3 was isolated during an outbreak of pasteurellosis in Flemish Giant (FG) rabbits. Since New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits housed in the same room were not as severely affected as FG rabbits, experimental inoculation was undertaken to determine if FG rabbits were more susceptible than NZW rabbits to pasteurellosis induced by this isolate. Rabbits of each breed were inoculated with P. multocida A:3 and observed for 3 weeks. Four of 5 FG rabbits developed severe clinical disease on days 6, 9, 12 and 14 after inoculation; whereas, the one affected NZW rabbit became ill 14 days after inoculation. All rabbits with clinical disease developed fibrinosuppurative pleuritis, pyothorax and pneumonia which was more severe in FG than NZW rabbits. At necropsy, P. multocida A:3 was isolated from multiple sites of the diseased rabbits. No significant difference (P=0·099) in the prevalence of lesions between the two breeds was found; however, the score of pneumonia and pleuritis was 3 times greater in FG rabbits than NZW rabbits.

An investigation of the usefulness of a segregating stock of nude mice [AF nude mice (AF-nu)] for screening anticancer agents was undertaken. The toxicity of anticancer agents, takes and growth rates of human tumour xenografts and chemosensitivities of xenografts in AF-nu were studied and compared with those in BALB/cA nude mice (BALB/cA-nu). The results showed differences in the pattern of mortalities of AF-nu and BALB/cA-nu administered a range of anticancer agents. Body weight changes in the two nude mouse strains differed in the case of 5-fluorouracil, but not for nimustine, adriamycin and vincristine. All tumours transplanted in AF-nu grew as in BALB/cA-nu. Growth rates of 2 xenografts (gastric cancer and glioblastoma) were not significantly different between the 2 nude mouse strains, but those of 2 lung tumour xenografts were significantly greater in AF-nu than those in BALB/cA-nu. There were no significant differences in chemosensitivities of human tumours in AF-nu and BALB/cA-nu (consistency rate as evaluated by our criteria was 88%). From these results, it is suggested that AF-nu are more suitable for anticancer agent screening and experimental chemotherapy of human tumour xenografts than BALB/cA-nu because of lower costs and high reproductive rate. Although they are genetically heterogeneous, sets of experimental animals sharing the same gene pool can be produced routinely.

The isolated, buffer-perfused ferret heart is a new model for the study of cardiac physiology and metabolism. Compared to the more commonly used isolated heart preparation, the rat heart, the ferret has a lower rate-pressure product due to lower heart rate, a remarkably low coronary flow and almost complete oxygen extraction. The ferret heart remains in stable haemodynamic and metabolic conditions for a longer period of time than the rat heart. ATP contents of the two species are similar, but creatine phosphate content is higher in the ferret while NAD content is much lower.

An in-vivo method, computerized tomography (CT), was used to monitor nephrocalcinosis in female rats. CT density data correlated well with renal Ca content measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

In-vivo CT measurements revealed that the severity of nephrocalcinosis may change spontaneously with time. Manifest calcifications may exhibit spontaneous regression and are probably affected positively by high dietary Mg, in contrast to increased Ca. It is concluded that CT is a suitable and reliable non-invasive in vivo method to follow up time-dependent alterations in kidney calcifications in rats.

Somatosensory, brainstem auditory evoked and peripheral sensory-motor responses were recorded in rats anaesthetized with either pentobarbital or a ketamine-xylazine combination. This was carried out in order to assess which of these agents degraded responses to a lesser extent and thus would be more suitable for monitoring experimental effects. Neither of the anaesthetic agents affected peripheral sensory or motor conduction, nor were there any interpeak latency changes of the early components of the brainstem auditory response. However, pentobarbital anaesthesia resulted in an increase in latency of the initial positive component of the somatosensory cortical evoked potential and attenuation of the following negative component. During the recovery stages of ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia the longer latency evoked potential components were observed to emerge.