The long-range goal of this project is to conduct systematic studies on the effects of housing enrichment and common husbandry and experimental procedures on the normal cardiovascular and endocrine physiology of rats using state-of-the-art methodologies. It is anticipated that the results will greatly assist Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees in their determination of what procedures can or cannot be conducted in rodent housing areas and whether or not enrichment of the housing environment significantly reduces stress in rodents.
The specific aims are: (1) To evaluate several levels of enrichment of the housing environment on distress (or lack of distress) in rats and (2) To evaluate the level of distress in animals undergoing common husbandry or experimental procedures or """"""""witnessing"""""""" these procedures being done on other animals. These studies will be conducted on 3-, 6- or 12-month old male and female rats of four commonly used outbred strains obtained from commercial vendors. Animals will be """"""""instrumented"""""""" with a radio-telemetry transmitter to continuously monitor arterial blood pressures and heart rate or with a chronic, indwelling venous catheter to obtain sequential blood samples for the determination of plasma levels of stress related hormones (catecholamines, corticosterone and prolactin). Additional variables (weight gain, food and water consumption and estrous cyclicity) will also be monitored to gauge the physiologic status of the rats. The housing conditions to be evaluated are: isolated (single) housing, paired (double) housing, isolated housing with """"""""chew"""""""" and """"""""climbing/hiding"""""""" """"""""toys"""""""" and isolated housing with access to a very enriched environment for a short period each day. Adaptation to the environmental housing conditions will also be evaluated. Common husbandry and experimental manipulations to which animals are to be exposed or witness being done on other animals will include: removal to a new cage, hand restraint and a s.c. injection, placement in a rodent restrainer for a short period with a tail vein injection, witnessing the decapitation of other animals and witnessing a tissue harvest from other animals. Although this project is a descriptive one and not hypothesis driven, it should provide very practical and important results that can be used by local IACUCs as they review animal protocols and by national organizations such as the PHS, AAALAC, ILAR and USDA as they promulgate requirements, guidelines and regulations in this area.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01RR013600-03
Application #
6394704
Study Section
National Center for Research Resources Initial Review Group (RIRG)
Program Officer
Harding, John D
Project Start
1999-07-01
Project End
2003-06-30
Budget Start
2001-07-01
Budget End
2003-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$257,672
Indirect Cost
Name
Wayne State University
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Detroit
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48202
Sharp, Jody; Azar, Toni; Lawson, David (2014) Effects of a complex housing environment on heart rate and blood pressure of rats at rest and after stressful challenges. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 53:52-60
Azar, Toni; Sharp, Jody; Lawson, David (2011) Heart rates of male and female Sprague-Dawley and spontaneously hypertensive rats housed singly or in groups. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 50:175-84
Sharp, Jody; Azar, Toni; Lawson, David (2006) Comparison of carbon dioxide, argon, and nitrogen for inducing unconsciousness or euthanasia of rats. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 45:21-5
Azar, Toni; Sharp, Jody; Lawson, David (2005) Stress-like cardiovascular responses to common procedures in male versus female spontaneously hypertensive rats. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 44:25-30
Sharp, Jody; Azar, Toni; Lawson, David (2003) Does cage size affect heart rate and blood pressure of male rats at rest or after procedures that induce stress-like responses? Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 42:8-12
Sharp, Jody; Zammit, Timothy; Azar, Toni et al. (2003) Recovery of male rats from major abdominal surgery after treatment with various analgesics. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 42:22-7
Sharp, Jody; Zammit, Timothy; Azar, Toni et al. (2003) Stress-like responses to common procedures in individually and group-housed female rats. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 42:9-18
Sharp, Jody; Zammit, Timothy; Azar, Toni et al. (2002) Does witnessing experimental procedures produce stress in male rats? Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 41:8-12
Sharp, Jody L; Zammit, Timothy G; Azar, Toni A et al. (2002) Stress-like responses to common procedures in male rats housed alone or with other rats. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 41:8-14
Sharp, Jody L; Zammit, Timothy G; Lawson, David M (2002) Stress-like responses to common procedures in rats: effect of the estrous cycle. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 41:15-22

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