Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice

2024-02-22T12:33:32+00:00

Assessment of behavioural phenotype is crucial for the evaluation of various disease models, particularly in
laboratory rodents. Traditionally, this includes performing a variety of conventional tests where animals are
removed from their home-cages and placed in behavioural test apparatuses. This approach can be affected by
micro-environmental stress (removal from cage, handling, moving to an unfamiliar setting, and the test itself)
and other biases by capturing animals’ responses in a short time-window and potentially missing subtle or circadian
effects. Overall, serious concerns have been expressed regarding the validity and reliability of such measurements.
To address some of these concerns, researchers are increasingly resorting to automated home-cage monitoring
(HCM) technologies, which allow continuous recording of behavioural and physiological parameters of
undisturbed animals. In 2021, a pan-European network of researchers started the 4-year COST Action “Improving
biomedical research by automated behaviour monitoring in the animal home-cage” (CA20135 TEATIME,
https://www.cost-teatime.org/). For this project, experts from different fields joined forces to critically assess the
potential of available technologies, to develop guidelines and identify where further technological development is
needed, including analysis of big data. The opportunities opened by HCM for daily health and welfare monitoring
of laboratory mice in a contactless, stress-free, and continuous fashion are also being explored. We provide
a short overview of the progress made by the Action during the first year and a half (presentation available at
https://osf.io/5dgz7).

The arterial blood sampling associated with PET imaging studies can lead to post-scan complications in Göttingen minipigs

2023-08-23T10:28:53+00:00

When disease progression or treatment effects are investigated, pigs are frequently used for imaging studies. We recently showed that prolonged anesthesia with intensive blood sampling and road transportation affect internal organs in non-recovery imaging studies in domestic pigs. In the present study, we examined if repeated non-invasive scans per se affect internal organs and post-scan observations. Göttingen minipigs are frequently used for longitudinal imaging studies due to their low adult body weight. Computed tomography scans did not detect significant organ damage in minipigs (N=4) placed in sternal recumbence for a few hours. Upon reviewing medical records of minipigs positioned in sternal recumbence during PET scans (N=40), two cases (5 %) of minor post-scan complications were found during the first two weeks post scanning. Minipigs in dorsal recumbence with the surgical placement of femoral catheters for blood sampling (N=14) were more frequently (7 cases, 50 %) associated with minor-to-moderate post-scan complications. Regardless of whether minipigs were placed in sternal or dorsal recumbency, a non-significant decrease in body weight was observed. The results indicate that the anesthetized Göttingen minipigs are slightly affected by the simple short-term scanning procedures and that the blood sampling procedures should be reduced when possible. Post-operative care should be improved due to the higher incidence of post-scanning complications in minipigs that were femoral artery catheterized.

Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science

Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice

The arterial blood sampling associated with PET imaging studies can lead to post-scan complications in Göttingen minipigs