One of the primary tenants of the federal regulations governing the use of laboratory animals in research is reduction or elimination of unnecessary stress and distress. The practical application of this principle has profound implications to the research community. Not only can stress and distress negatively impact animal welfare but also the physiological perturbations induced by even mild stressors can interfere with the interpretation of research results reducing the productivity of biomedical research. To properly comply with and apply the principle of stress reduction, scientists must determine those factors that research animals commonly experience which induce levels of stress that are either detrimental to their health and well being or, if not detrimental to their welfare, influence experimental results. Effective methods to reduce, eliminate, or at least control these factors in experimental protocols can then be developed. Consequently, the long term goals of the studies in this proposal are: 1) to extend previous and current investigations that have described the effects of some common husbandry and experimental procedures that induce acute stress-like responses of the cardiovascular system, to the characterization of the effects of suspected chronic stressors and to rat strains that are more stress-prone; and 2) to determine how modifications to the animals' physical and social environment can reduce or eliminate stress. To achieve these goals, the following Specific Aims will be addressed: 1) Determine the effects of significantly reduced light intensity and/or a prolonged dark period in animal rooms on cardiovascular, endocrine, and behavioral responses of Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Spontaneously Hypertensive (SHR) male and female rats to suspected or known acute and chronic stressors. 2) Determine the effects of enriching the physical and social environment on cardiovascular, endocrine, and behavioral responses of SD and SHR male and female rats following known or suspected acute and chronic stressors. Cardiovascular measures (blood pressures and heart rate) will be monitored continuously with radiotelemetry to indirectly gauge the activity of the autonomic nervous system; hormones known to be released in response to stressors (prolactin and corticosterone) will be analyzed in the serum of blood samples taken by indwelling catheters and stress related behaviors will be determined by visual observation and standardized behavioral testing. The results should be significant to research investigators and to the federal regulatory agencies that develop animal welfare policies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01RR013600-05
Application #
6771748
Study Section
National Center for Research Resources Initial Review Group (RIRG)
Program Officer
Harding, John D
Project Start
1999-07-01
Project End
2006-04-30
Budget Start
2004-05-01
Budget End
2005-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$339,750
Indirect Cost
Name
Wayne State University
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001962224
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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