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PubMed1980

Nutritional adequacy and quality control of rodent diets.

One of the most often neglected variables in experimental investigations using rodents is the diet. Recent observations that diets can influence the response of a rodent to the drug, chemical or other factors under study, with biased interpretation of results, have drawn great interest. In order to be assured that the biologic response observed is a reflection of the material or condition under study, it is imperative that the diet provide essential nutrients in the proper proportions and that contaminants be kept to a minimum. Quality control is the key to these requirements; rodent diets can provide adequate nutrition, free of significant contamination. The diets which can be provided vary according to the degree of refinements; the three major types are (1) natural product, (2) semipurified and (3) chemically defined diets. Natural product diets may be open or closed formula, depending on the amount of information that the label reveals. Guaranteed analyses of proximate nutrients are provided but are of little use in assessing the nutrient value of the formulation. The National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council publications on laboratory animal nutrient requirements should be available to all investigators using experimental animals to help them evaluate the nutritional adequacy of the diets they use. Rats and mice may be considered together under some circumstances relative to crude dietary needs, but the Syrian golden hamster should be treated separately for purposes of diet. This species appears to digest foods more like a ruminant. An ideal diet for rodents is not on the horizon because of variable needs relative to different types of research and holding. Storage and shelf life of rodent diets also play important roles in providing adequate nutrition. Variations in moisture, temperature and exposure to other chemicals can affect the quality of the feed and research results. In addition, a number of chemical and biological contaminants have been found in rodent diets, and surveillance over such variables must be a part of all laboratory animal diet quality control. Federal regulatory mandates now require that investigators assure that nutrient requirements of animals are met and that diets are reasonably free from contamination. Accepted practices in good management, formulation, shipping and storage will help achieve these commendable goals.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1972

Biological and behavioural studies of rodents as a basis for control.

Domestic rodents, particularly those living in urban populations, represent a serious public health problem, and effective control measures are required to deal with this threat to human health. Because of the characteristic interactions between individual animals, certain behaviour patterns occur in rodent populations that are of particular concern to control biologists. The genus Rattus is an extremely diverse group whose ecological requirements are variable and flexible, while the genus Mus, on account of its small size, limited range, and modest requirements in terms of food and water, is also very difficult to control. For any control operation a knowledge of the growth dynamics of domestic rodent populations is needed; after a period of logarithmic growth, population increases cease when the habitat is fully exploited. Consequently, control operations that merely remove some animals lead only to renewed population growth. Trapping, poisoning, and predation are traditional control measures of this kind. Environmental modification is a more certain, but more difficult, approach. The use of chemosterilants offers some hope of radical control in the future, but at present, although some field trials have been made, these substances are not available for general use, one reason being their lack of specificity. Another problem connected with the use of chemosterilants is that, on account of the sexual behaviour and physiology of domestic rodents, it would be necessary to reach nearly 100% of the population to obtain effective control.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Transplantation of insulin-like growth factor-II-secreting tumors into nude rodents.

Restricted supplies of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) have severely limited investigation of the in vivo actions of this hormone. To circumvent this problem, we have developed an in vivo rodent model in which rat (r) IGF-II-secreting cells (18, 54-SF) are transplanted into congenitally immunodeficient (nude) rats and mice. These cells proliferate and form discrete tumors that contain rIGF-II and abundant IGF-II receptors. The tumors also secrete rIGF-II into the circulation, resulting in plasma rIGF-II concentrations many-fold greater than those in control rodents (81 +/- 19 vs. less than 10 ng/ml, rats; 159 +/- 28 vs. 18 +/- 5 ng/ml, mice; P less than 0.05, both groups). There was no significant difference between the tumor-bearing and control rodents in either body weight or tail length. The tumor-bearing rodents did have significantly lower concentrations of IGF-I (296 +/- 23 vs. 527 +/- 67 ng/ml, rats; 300 +/- 26 vs. 482 +/- 70 ng/ml, mice; P less than 0.05, both groups), suggesting that the increased concentrations of rIGF-II may have inhibited IGF-I production or secretion. This animal model may be used to explore the biological effects of increased plasma IGF-II concentrations.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1991

An experience in the control of plague in Botswana.

In October 1989, cases of human plague started to occur in Boteti district of Botswana. One hundred and seventy cases were recorded in total from 15 October 1989 to 6 April 1990. There were 12 deaths, giving a case fatality rate of 7%. All cases were of the bubonic type. A concerted control strategy based on sentinel surveillance, involving public education, flea and rodent control, chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis controlled the epidemic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1967

Use of repellents and attractants in filariasis control.

The ways in which repellents and attractants could be used to interrupt the transmission of bancroftian filariasis, especially by Culex pipiens fatigans, are assessed. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) is an effective repellent against C. p. fatigans. It is also very toxic to all larval stages of Wuchereria bancrofti. The median lethal time to microfilariae of a solution of about 0.2% in normal saline is about 10 minutes. Other stages are similarly sensitive. Contact with DMP in very thin films is almost immediately lethal. It is highly unlikely that infection could take place under ordinary conditions through skin treated with DMP for at least many hours afterwards. This toxicity made it impossible to evaluate repellency in vitro. An in vivo test of the effect of skin applications of DMP on microfilaria counts gave anomalous results. A schedule for filariasis control, involving education, garbage disposal, rodent control, sewage disposal, and mosquito control, is proposed, and the research needed to allow repellents and attractants to play a full role in such a schedule is delineated.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The black death past and present. 1. Plague in the 1980s.

This paper considers firstly the epidemiology of plague in the 1980s. The largest number of cases occurred in Tanzania. Most cases were in children and young adults; in the USA the male:female ratio was about 2:1. Plague had a seasonal distribution. Almost all cases arose from bites of infected rodent fleas, and Rattus spp. were the most important reservoir hosts. Virulence is linked with the presence of a 45 MDa plasmid. The predominant clinical form of plague is bubonic, followed by septicaemic, meningitic and pneumonic. For treatment, streptomycin is the antibiotic of choice, with tetracycline and chloramphenicol as alternatives. Treatment given on the first 1-2 d of illness is highly effective, and resistance is not a problem. Rodent control, insecticide application, and avoidance of contact with rodents and their fleas remain the prime means of control. Plague vaccine is not in general use.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Biosecurity and minimal disease herds.

The minimal disease concept is a way of raising pigs so that some specific diseases are absent. Many bacteria and viruses can be transferred by pigs, air, or mechanical contact. To avoid contamination, the herd location should take into consideration disease transmission possibilities. Herd health status and source herd health status should be continuously monitored. To maintain herd health status, specific rules need to be followed for herd construction and establishment, compound perimeter, people movement, down time, animal transportation, feed use and delivery, vehicle movement, material, dead animal disposition, and rodent control. All new incoming animals should go through quarantine, and in some herds, safer methods such as AI, embryo transfer, MEW, or hysterectomy and fostering need to be used.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1989

Seroprevalence of murine typhus and fièvre boutonneuse in certain human populations in Egypt.

A study was conducted between 1984 and 1987 to determine the prevalence of Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia conorii infections among humans residing in the Nile Delta, Suez Canal area and Nile Valley of Egypt. Serum specimens were obtained from garbage and rodent control workers, other unclassified occupational workers, and from patients with fever of undetermined aetiology. All sera were assayed for IgA + IgM + IgG (IgAMG) antibody mixture and if positive, reassayed for specific IgM antibody to rickettsia by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique. R. typhi antibody was found in 19% (33/178) of the garbage collectors, whereas only 1% (2/178) had demonstrable antibody to R. conorii. Among those with other occupations, R. typhi antibody was detected in 0.7% (2/295) and none had R. conorii antibody. The antibody prevalence rate for R. typhi among patients with febrile illness ranged from 25 to 41%, and from 2 to 15% for R. conorii, at three different locations in Egypt. In addition, IgM antibody to R. typhi was demonstrated in some patients showing symptoms compatible with rickettsial disease and in some patients who seroconverted, indicating that R. typhi was the cause of illness among some of these patients. These findings support previous observations that R. typhi and R. conorii are the causes of human rickettsial disease in Egypt, and that humans are commonly infected with R. typhi.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Experiments on direct and secondary poisoning by fluoroacetamide (1081) in wildlife and domestic carnivores.

Fluoroacetamide (1081 or F.A.A) is used in Israel for field rodent control. Experiments on direct and secondary, short and long term poisoning caused by 1081 were carried out. Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), hyena (Hyaena hyaena), cats and dogs were susceptible. Barn owls (Tyto alba), buzzards (Buteo buteo) and black kites (Milvus m. migrans) were markedly resistant. Barn owls tolerated total direct poisoning ranging from 6.8 to 10.9, and a final dose ranging from 0.8 to 2.0 mg/kg. In secondary poisoning, total doses ranging from 1.7 to 7.1, and final doses ranging from 0.2 to 1.3 mg/kg were tolerated. Buzzards tolerated total direct poisoning ranging from 6 to 12.0, and final doses ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 mg/kg. In secondary poisoning, doses ranging from 0.8 to 10.3 and final doses ranging from 0.2 to 2.4 mg/kg were tolerated. One black kite tolerated a total direct dose of 6.1 and final dose of 0.7 mg/kg, another survived a total dose of 2.3 and final dose of 0.2 mg/kg in secondary poisoning. A small-scale secondary poisoning experiment on two Palestine vipers (Vipera palestinae), a Syrian black snake (Coluber jugularis) and two Montpellier snakes (Malpolon monspessulanus) indicated that these species were resistant to total doses ranging from 0.1 to 3.2 and final doses of 0.1 to 0.8 mg/kg.

Amides↗
PubMed1983

Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: memorandum from a WHO meeting.

Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a public health problem throughout most of the European and Asian land mass. Although predominantly associated with rural areas, it is now being recognized as an urban problem in some countries, and also presents a particular hazard to laboratory staff who use rodents for biomedical research. In wild rodents (rats, mice and voles) the infection is asymptomatic. Human infection with the HFRS agent(s) is sporadic, but under special circumstances epidemics occur; the infection may be completely silent, or associated with mild or severe disease. Severe cases are usually seen in the Far East. The epidemiological features of the disease vary from country to country and depend upon a variety of factors, the elucidation of which requires a multidisciplinary approach. The recently discovered Hantaan virus is the etiologic agent of HFRS in Asia. It is now possible to detect Hantaan virus antigen by immunofluorescence using either infected mouse lung or infected human cells as substrate. Prevention measures to date have concentrated on rodent control; the role played by the ectoparasites of rodents, if any, has still to be elucidated. Antigens have been detected in rodents captured in HFRS-endemic areas in China, Finland, Japan, Sweden, and the Soviet Union. None of these have been cultured as yet, but preliminary results with the Puumala agent detected in Finland indicate a relationship with the Hantaan virus. Sera collected from Scandinavian patients react to a high titre with both Puumala and Hantaan agents, whereas sera collected from patients in East Asia have much higher titres against the homologous antigen. Surveillance is very important and further research on the virus is needed, especially to identify the virus in the West and to determine strain differences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Heterogeneic autoantibody against neurofilament protein in the sera of animals with experimental kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and natural scrapie infection.

Heterogeneic autoantibodies against axonal neurofilament proteins of mature mouse neurons grown in vitro were detected by the indirect immunofluorescence technique in 12.7% (9 of 71) of the sera from nonhuman primates infected with kuru, in 14.5% (17 of 117) and 4% (1 of 25), respectively, of the sera from nonhuman primates and laboratory rodents infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and in 35% (7 of 20) of the sera from sheep naturally infected with scrapie. Autoantibody titers ranged from 1:16 to 1:512 in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease-infected animals, 1:32 to 1:512 in kuru-infected animals, and 1:64 to 1:1,024 in sheep with natural scrapie. The sera from 11 monkeys and 17 hamsters infected with scrapie and from 19 chimpanzees inoculated with brain tissues from humans with other neurological diseases did not contain autoantibodies. Of the 41 chimpanzees with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, 6 had autoantibodies against neurofilament proteins before experimental inoculation, whereas 6 others developed autoantibodies after inoculation, 4 developed autoantibodies during the asymptomatic phase, and 2 developed autoantibodies during the terminal clinical phase. Of the 48 chimpanzees with kuru, 2 had autoantibodies before inoculation, 6 developed autoantibodies after inoculation, 3 developed autoantibodies during the asymptomatic phase, and 3 developed autoantibodies during the terminal clinical phase. Among the normal nonhuman primate controls, 4.6% (9 of 195) had autoantibodies. In contrast, no autoantibodies were detected in 49 control rodents and 13 control sheep. The increased incidence of autoantibodies against neurofilament proteins in animals with kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and scrapie constitutes the first evidence of an immunological reaction in this group of atypical infections caused by unconventional viruses and suggests that neurofilaments may be involved in pathogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Aberrant crypts, putative precancerous lesions, in the study of the role of diet in the aetiology of colon cancer.

Progress in the field of diet and colon cancer would be greatly enhanced by the development of a methodology which allowed for the identification and quantification of the early precursor lesions of colon cancer. Recently we described a method (Bird, 1987) consisting of staining the fixed, unsectioned colon with methylene blue for viewing the mucosal surface with the aid of a light microscope. With this methodology we observed early focal lesions in the colons of rodents which had been treated with a colon carcinogen but no lesions in the colons of control rodents. We termed these lesions aberrant crypts (AC). Based on our preliminary observations we hypothesized that AC represent precursor lesions of colon cancer. The findings from our subsequent studies (summarized in this paper) support this contention. We therefore suggest that evaluation of the characteristics of AC will further our understanding of the carcinogenic process as it occurs in the rodent colon and will provide a basis for the investigation of the role of diet in the aetiology of the disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Maintenance of thyroid hormone production during exercise-induced weight loss.

Calorie restriction reduces thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) production, but the effects of exercise-induced weight loss on thyroid hormone metabolism in rodents are unclear. We studied the effects of chronic exercise on T4 and T3 metabolism comparing exercising (exercise) rats pair fed to sedentary (control) rodents and to weight-matched underfed sedentary animals (underfed; caloric intake 75% of ad libitum-fed controls). The exercise group utilized voluntary running wheels (28 days), and thyroid hormone metabolism was assessed using a three-compartment kinetics model. The exercise and underfed groups were equivalent in weight, but protein mass was greater in the exercise vs. underfed groups (30.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 27.9 +/- 0.5 g; P less than 0.05). During exercise, the T4 plasma clearance rate (PCR) was decreased (-39.2%; P less than 0.01) and the T4 concentration in serum was increased (48.6%; P less than 0.01), resulting in an unchanged T4 plasma appearance rate (PAR) vs. the control group. The decrease in T4 PCR in the exercise group was associated with a lower transport rate of T4 out of the slow pool (P less than 0.01). In the underfed group there was a reduction in both T4 serum concentration and PAR (-36%; P less than 0.01) compared with the control group, which was associated with a decrease in the volume of distribution (-25%; P less than 0.01). T3 PAR decreased 38.7% (P less than 0.01) during underfeeding but only 16.9% (P = not significant) during exercise vs. the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗