Effects of reproductive technologies and SPF status on some physiological and behavioral characteristics in rats with arterial hypertension (ISIAH strain). D. S. Ragaeva, T. O. Abramova, I. N. Rozhkova, E. Yu. Brusentsev, E. V. Kalinichenko, T. N. Igonina, S. Ya. Amstislavsky

Modern standards of Laboratory Animal Science include working with laboratory animals of high quality, in particular, with specific pathogen free (SPF) mice and rats. On the other hand, assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are widely used in modern medicine for human infertility treatment as well as for genome resource banking. In the present study, a comparison of body weight, blood pressure (BP) and behavior in the «elevated plus maze» (EPM) test was made between three groups of ISIAH (inherited stress induced arterial hypertension) rats: a group of animals that were born and raised in a conventional animal facility and two groups from an SPF animal facility (one with animals born naturally and another with animals resulting from ART). There were no changes in BP between the groups, but the behavior of ISIAH differed depending on rearing conditions. In particular, grooming time, as well as the number of defecations and the number of urinations during the test were decreased in both groups of ISIAH rats born in the SPF animal facility as compared to ISIAH rats born in the conventional animal facility. The behavior of the ISIAH rat offspring resulting from ART was different from that of the naturally born group: the EPM test revealed reduced anxiety in the former. The results of the present study indicate that the rearing conditions as well as reproductive technologies affect some behavioral characteristics in adult ISIAH rats, although they develop arterial hypertension in all the conditions used in this study.

About The Authors:

D. S. Ragaeva. Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Russian Federation, Novosibirsk 

T. O. Abramova. Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

I. N. Rozhkova. Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

T. N. Igonina. Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

S. Ya. Amstislavsky. Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

1. Abrams G.D., Bauer H., Sprinz H. Influence of the normal flora on mucosal morphology and cellular renewal in the ileum. A comparison of germ-free and conventional mice. Lab Invest. 1963;12:355-364.

2. Amstislavsky S.Ya. Embriotekhnologicheskie podkhody k sokhraneniyu ischezayushchikh vidov mlekopitayushchikh. Diss. dokt. biol. nauk [Embryotechnological approaches to conservation of endangered mammalian species: Dr. biol. sci. diss.]. Novosibirsk, 2006.

3. Amstislavsky S., Brusentsev E., Kizilova E., Igonina T., Abramova T., Rozhkova I. Embryo cryopreservation and in vitro culture of preimplantation embryos in Campbell’s hamster (Phodopus campbelli). Theriogenology. 2015;82:1056-1063. DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.12.013

4. Amstislavsky S.Ya., Igonina T.N., Rozhkova I.N., Brusentsev E.Yu., Rogovaya A.A., Ragaeva D.S., Naprimerov V.A., Litvinova E.A., Plyusnina I.F., Markel’ A.L. Rederivation by embryo transfer in strains of laboratory mice and rats. Vavilovskiy zhurnal genetiki i selek­tsii — Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding. 2013;17(1):

5. 147-161.

6. Clarke R.M. Diet, mucosal architecture and epithelial cell production in the small intestine of specified-pathogen-free and conventional rats. Laboratory Animals. 1975;9:201-209. DOI:10.1258/002367775780994600

7. Ecker D.J., Stein P., Xu Z., Williams C.J., Kopf G.S., Bilker W.B., Abel T., Schultz R.M. Long-term effects of culture of preimplantation mouse embryos on behavior. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 2004;101(6):1595-1600. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0306846101

8. Emiliani S., Van den Bergh M., Vannin A.S., Biramanel J., Englert Y. Comparison of ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol and glycerol for cryopreservation of slow-cooled mouse zygotes, 4-cell embryos and blastocysts. Hum. Reprod. 2000;4:905-910. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/15.4.905

9. Festing M.F.W., Baumans V., Combes R.D., Halder M., Hendriksen C.F., Howard B.R., Wilson M.S. Reducing the use of laboratory animals in biomedical research: problems and possible solutions. ATLA-NOTTINGHAM. 1998;26:283-302.

10. Gareau M.G., Wine E., Rodrigues D.M., Cho J.H., Whary M.T., Philpott D.J., Macqueen G., Sherman P.M. Bacterial infection causes stress-induced memory dysfunction in mice. Gut. 2011;60(3): 307-317. DOI:10.1136/gut.2009.202515

11. Kaluev A.V. Analysis of grooming in neurobiological research: neurogenetics, neuropharmacology and experimental models of stress. Neironauki — Neurosciences. 2006;4(6):14-19.

12. Kjelstrup K.G., Tuvnes F.A., Steffenach H.A., Murison R., Moser E.I., Moser M.B. Reduced fear expression after lesions of the ventral hippocampus. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 2002;99:10825-10830. DOI:10.1073/pnas.152112399

13. Lyte M., Li W., Opitz N., Gaykema R.P., Goehler L.E. Induction of anxiety-like behavior in mice during the initial stages of infection with the agent of murine colonic hyperplasia Citrobacter rodentium. Physiol. Behav. 2006;89(3):350-357. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.06.019

14. Markel’ A.L. Evaluation of the basic characteristics of rat behavior in the “open field” test. Zhurn. Vyssh. Nerv. Deiat. Im. I.P. Pavlova — I.P. Pavlov Journal of Higher Nervous Activity. 1981;31(2):301-307.

15. Ragaeva D.S., Brusentsev E.Yu., Amstislavsky S.Ya. Assisted reproductive technologies and arterial hypertension. Ontogenez — Ontogeny. 2014;45(5):299-313.

16. Rodgers R.J., Cole J.C. The elevated plus-maze: pharmacology, methodology and ethology. Ethol. Psychopharmacol. 1994.

17. Sharma R., Schumacher U., Ronaasen V., Coates M. Rat intestinal mucosal responses to a microbial flora and different diets. Gut. 1995;36(2):209-214.

18. Tanaka A., Matsuda H. Expression of nerve growth factor in itchy skins of atopic NC/NgaTnd mice. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 2005;67(9):915-919. DOI: 10.1292/jvms.67.915

19. Van Soom A., Wrathall A.E., Herrler A., Nauwynck H.J. Is the zona pellucida an efficient barrier to viral infection? Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 2010;22:21-31. DOI: 10.1071/RD09230