Mouse housing system using pressurized cages intraventilated: Reproductive performance and lung histopathology

Alexandre Martinewski, Caio S. C. Correia, Nivea L. de Souza, José L. B. Merusse

Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of S?o Paulo, S?o Paulo, Brazil.

DOI: 10.4236/ojas.2013.33023                

Abstract

The present study is a report on the use of individual micro fans attached to the lids of mice cages, leading to cage pressurization and internal ventilation. The effect of this ventilation system was analyzed in relation to reproductive performance and lung histopathology of BALB/c, SPF mice, and was based on the results of previous studies, which demonstrated the mechanical efficiency of the system. No statistical differences were observed in relation to interbirth interval, number of offspring born, and number and weight of offspring weaned. Lung histopathology, however, showed that the group of animals kept under the microenvironmental ventilation system for 229 days presented no pulmonary lesions (score 0), whereas animals in the control group, kept in a conventional micro isolator, without ventilation, presented score 1 (discrete inflammatory reaction and hemorrhage, 5 animals); score 2 (hemorrhage, 1 animal) and score 3 (interstitial pneumonia and hemorrhage or peribronchitis and hemorrhage, 2 animals). Data demonstrates that the presence and functioning of the micro fans on the lids did not interfere with the reproductive performance of the animals and improve the quality in laboratory animals production, providing them without any kind of pulmonary lesions.

Keywords

Component; Formatting; Style; Styling; Insert

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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