Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-10-01Epub Date: 2024-08-11DOI: 10.1177/00236772231217777
Stanley E Lazic
{"title":"Causal mediation analysis: How to avoid fooling yourself that <i>X</i> causes <i>Y</i>.","authors":"Stanley E Lazic","doi":"10.1177/00236772231217777","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772231217777","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of many preclinical studies is to determine whether an experimental intervention affects an outcome through a particular mechanism, but the analytical methods and inferential logic typically used cannot answer this question, leading to erroneous conclusions about causal relationships, which can be highly reproducible. A causal mediation analysis can directly test whether a hypothesised mechanism is partly or completely responsible for a treatment's effect on an outcome. Such an analysis can be easily implemented with modern statistical software. We show how a mediation analysis can distinguish between three different causal relationships that are indistinguishable when using a standard analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"458-462"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141917072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-10-01Epub Date: 2024-09-20DOI: 10.1177/00236772241259518
Limeng Liu, Ashley Petersen
{"title":"Incorporating sources of correlation between outcomes: An introduction to mixed models.","authors":"Limeng Liu, Ashley Petersen","doi":"10.1177/00236772241259518","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772241259518","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animal research often involves measuring the outcomes of interest multiple times on the same animal, whether over time or for different exposures. These repeated outcomes measured on the same animal are correlated due to animal-specific characteristics. While this repeated measures data can address more complex research questions than single-outcome data, the statistical analysis must take into account the study design resulting in correlated outcomes, which violate the independence assumption of standard statistical methods (e.g. a two-sample <i>t</i>-test, linear regression). When standard statistical methods are incorrectly used to analyze correlated outcome data, the statistical inference (i.e. confidence intervals and <i>p</i>-values) will be incorrect, with some settings leading to null findings too often and others producing statistically significant findings despite no support for this in the data. Instead, researchers can leverage approaches designed specifically for correlated outcomes. In this article, we discuss common study designs that lead to correlated outcome data, motivate the intuition about the impact of improperly analyzing correlated outcomes using methods for independent data, and introduce approaches that properly leverage correlated outcome data.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"463-469"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142290374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-10-01Epub Date: 2024-09-24DOI: 10.1177/00236772241273002
Angela Jeffers, Kathryn Konrad, Gary Larson, Katherine Allen-Moyer, Helen Cunny, Keith Shockley
{"title":"Simulation methodologies to determine statistical power in laboratory animal research studies.","authors":"Angela Jeffers, Kathryn Konrad, Gary Larson, Katherine Allen-Moyer, Helen Cunny, Keith Shockley","doi":"10.1177/00236772241273002","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772241273002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Null hypothesis significance testing is a statistical tool commonly employed throughout laboratory animal research. When experimental results are reported, the reproducibility of the results is of utmost importance. Establishing standard, robust, and adequately powered statistical methodology in the analysis of laboratory animal data is critical to ensure reproducible and valid results. Simulation studies are a reliable method for assessing the power of statistical tests, however, biologists may not be familiar with simulation studies for power despite their efficacy and accessibility. Through an example of simulated Harlan Sprague-Dawley (HSD) rat organ weight data, we highlight the importance of conducting power analyses in laboratory animal research. Using simulations to determine statistical power prior to an experiment is a financially and ethically sound way to validate statistical tests and to help ensure reproducibility of findings in line with the 4R principles of animal welfare.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"486-492"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11588134/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142308038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcia S C Oliveira, Tatiana X Castro, Camila F Baez, Simone Ramos, Gabriel R Azevedo, Carolina M de Castro, Ana Clara SS de Paula, Laura MB Levy, Emanuelle da S do Nascimento, Rafael B Varella
{"title":"Murine astrovirus (MuAstV) infection in mouse facilities in Brazil: First South American report","authors":"Marcia S C Oliveira, Tatiana X Castro, Camila F Baez, Simone Ramos, Gabriel R Azevedo, Carolina M de Castro, Ana Clara SS de Paula, Laura MB Levy, Emanuelle da S do Nascimento, Rafael B Varella","doi":"10.1177/00236772241257132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241257132","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to investigate the presence of murine astrovirus (MuAstV) in Brazil. Fecal samples from mice belonging to four Brazilian animal facilities were collected and tested for MuAstV using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Of the 162 samples tested, 38 (23.5%) were positive for MuAstV, 33 (91.7%) of which came from specific-pathogen free colonies. Although most of the samples were obtained from asymptomatic animals, three mice presented diarrheal symptoms, and MuAstV was the only agent detected by molecular assay. Phylogenetic analysis revealed similarities between the MuAstV strains from this study and prototypes from the USA. MuAstV’s high prevalence, environmental stability, genetic diversity and potential for persistent infections must be considered when evaluating health monitoring programs for laboratory rodents.","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":"4 1","pages":"236772241257132"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142178102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Non-invasive acquisition of vital data in anesthetized rats using laser and radar application","authors":"Toshiaki Kawabe, Shota Kita, Isao Ohmura, Ryuji Michino, Hidenori Watanabe, Guanghao Sun, Seiya Inoue","doi":"10.1177/00236772241265541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772241265541","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of obtaining vital sign information using a laser and radar sensor in a manner that is non-invasive and painless for test animals. A dataset was obtained from respiratory movement of anaesthetized male F344 rats, signals of laser and radar sensors were recorded simultaneously with vital data acquired with an integrated multiple-channel intraoperative monitor. In addition, respiratory movements were also video recorded, and used as reference data of respiration rate (RR; ref-RR). Reference data for heart rate (HR; ref-HR) were obtained from the R wave of electrocardiogram data for each epoch. Signals recorded from the radar sensor (I- and Q-signals) were input to a computer, and HR (radar-HR) and RR (radar-RR) were estimated using the frequency analysis method. Among the six positions where respiratory movements were measured by the laser sensor, the number of peak counts matched the visual counts of respiratory movements in the video records. The respiratory movements were significantly the greatest over the most caudal rib in the dorsal ( p < 0.001). The average radar-RR and ref-RR values showed correspondence (ref-RR, 69 ± 6.2 breaths/min; radar-RR, 68 ± 5.7 breaths/min ( p = 0.04–1.00); equivalence ratio, 86%). The radar-HR data showed slight variability; however, there was 80% homology compared with the ref-HR values (ref-HR, 336 ± 19.6 beats/min; radar-HR, 348 ± 34.1 ( p = 0.10–0.95)). Although comparison of the data under noradrenaline administration failed to track drug-induced changes in some cases, the HR and RR data of anesthetized rats measured from the radar sensor system showed comparable accuracy to other conventional methods.","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":"133 1","pages":"236772241265541"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142178103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-06-11DOI: 10.1177/00236772231200524
Marit G Maaland, Marianne Oropeza-Moe, Silje K Nes, Frode Myrland, Cecilie Ersdal, Nils P Oveland
{"title":"Lethal Gram-negative sepsis in healthy pigs during anaesthesia with contaminated propofol.","authors":"Marit G Maaland, Marianne Oropeza-Moe, Silje K Nes, Frode Myrland, Cecilie Ersdal, Nils P Oveland","doi":"10.1177/00236772231200524","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772231200524","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two healthy Landrace pigs anaesthetized with propofol suffered rapid onset of fatal sepsis. Clinical signs included severe arterial hypotension, loss of peripheral oxygenation, low end-tidal CO<sub>2</sub>, clinical onset of pulmonary oedema and cardiac dysfunction. Gross and histopathological examination revealed loss of vascular integrity with severe lung oedema and congestion, haemorrhages in several organs and fluid leakage into body cavities. Large numbers of Gram-negative bacteria, primarily <i>Klebsiella</i> sp., were present in the anaesthetic infusion containing propofol and were also cultured from internal organs of both pigs. The propofol was likely contaminated by bacteria after inappropriate handling and storage in the operating room. This report illustrates the potential for severe nosocomial infection when applying propofol in animals and humans and may serve as a reminder of the importance of strict aseptic practice in general, and specifically in the handling of this anaesthetic agent.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"374-379"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11437692/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141306213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-06-11DOI: 10.1177/00236772231225896
Jennie Lofgren, Kelly Metcalf-Pate
{"title":"LAS Around the Globe - United States of America.","authors":"Jennie Lofgren, Kelly Metcalf-Pate","doi":"10.1177/00236772231225896","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772231225896","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"284-285"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141306212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-08-05DOI: 10.1177/00236772241244834
Christine L Archer, Nikki K Tsuji, Molly H Waters, Jennifer L Brazzell, Derek L Fong, Jori K Leszczynski, Christopher A Manuel, Lauren M Habenicht
{"title":"Evaluation of a gel-based versus micro-pellet diet for adult zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>).","authors":"Christine L Archer, Nikki K Tsuji, Molly H Waters, Jennifer L Brazzell, Derek L Fong, Jori K Leszczynski, Christopher A Manuel, Lauren M Habenicht","doi":"10.1177/00236772241244834","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772241244834","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"291-301"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141893733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-08-05DOI: 10.1177/00236772241242538
Katrin Becker
{"title":"Retrospective analysis on the occurrence of kidney cysts in mice in a central animal facility in the years 2009-2019.","authors":"Katrin Becker","doi":"10.1177/00236772241242538","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772241242538","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kidney cysts in humans are mainly caused by inheritable polycystic kidney disease. Although they are a regular finding in laboratory mice, their occurrence upon dissection has not been systematically investigated, yet. Therefore, the aim of this report was to investigate on prevalence, phenotype and aetiology of spontaneously occurring kidney cysts in mice by retrospectively analysing the laboratory-receipt tables of the in-house laboratory of a central animal facility in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, years 2009-2019. A percentage of 0.4% of dissected mice displayed kidney cysts, with more male than female animals affected and average age equal to that of all dissected animals. Preliminary report in half of the cases was distended abdomen, and a few individuals displayed additional pathologic alterations of kidneys, most commonly dilated renal pelvis, or extrarenal comorbidities. Kidney cysts occurred independently of a renal phenotype of the transgenic strain or presence of infectious agents in health monitoring. To conclude, kidney cysts were characterized as harmless for affected mice but, as inheritability is suggested according with the literature, affected animals should be excluded from breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"380-386"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141893768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laboratory AnimalsPub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-07-29DOI: 10.1177/00236772241238264
María C García Mitacek, Romina G Praderio, Micaela Tebes, Florencia García, María C Stornelli, Rodolfo Luzbel de la Sota, María A Stornelli
{"title":"Auditory enrichment with different genres of music for colony queens.","authors":"María C García Mitacek, Romina G Praderio, Micaela Tebes, Florencia García, María C Stornelli, Rodolfo Luzbel de la Sota, María A Stornelli","doi":"10.1177/00236772241238264","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00236772241238264","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim was to determine changes in clinical parameters, glucose concentration, cortisol and behavior in colony queens in no music conditions compared with exposing to different genres of music. Mixed breed clinically healthy queens (<i>N</i> = 9) were used. Queens were studied under no music conditions (control=CON) and auditory enrichment: Soft Rock (M1), Motown (M2), Pop (M3), Frenchcore (M4) and music that was composed to be species-appropriate for cats (M5). The queens underwent auditory enrichment, including three days of silence (D1-3), five consecutive days of auditory enrichment (D4-8) and three days of silence (D9-11). We recorded clinical parameters, glucose, cortisol and behavior. Data were analyzed with GLIMMIX. Queens showed a significant increase of femoral pulse during exposure to M1, M2 and M4; and respiratory rate during exposure to M1, M2, M3 and M4 compared with CON. There was a significant increase in glucose during exposure to M2 and M5 compared with CON. However, there was a significant decrease in glucose during exposure to M4 compared with CON. There was a significant decrease in cortisol during exposure to M2 and M5 compared with CON. When we evaluated the ethogram, we observed a significant decrease in the percentage of interaction with other cats in M1 and M2 compared with CON. In addition, we found a significant decrease in the purring in M1 and M3 compared with CON. Auditory enrichment can be beneficial in situations that cause discomfort and distress in colony cats, such as in feline hospitalization; however, it should be acknowledged that there are limits to direct extrapolation.</p>","PeriodicalId":18013,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Animals","volume":" ","pages":"302-312"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141792853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}