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Related Experiment Videos

The muskrat in biomedical research.

R E Doyle1, W M Panneton, G A Vogler

  • 1Department of Comparative Medicine, St. Louis University School of Medicine, MO 63104.

Laboratory Animal Science
|December 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Muskrats are a viable new animal model for research, easily managed in labs. Their physiological and neurological traits support studies on cardiorespiratory control mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Zoology
  • Comparative Physiology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Muskrats are common North American aquatic rodents.
  • Currently underutilized in laboratory research settings.
  • Potential exists for novel research applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the feasibility of muskrats as experimental animal models.
  • To describe muskrat husbandry and natural characteristics for research use.
  • To assess their utility in cardiorespiratory control research.

Main Methods:

  • Acquisition and husbandry in conventional laboratory facilities.
  • Characterization of natural muskrat diseases and physiological traits.
  • Initial experiments on anesthetized muskrats to test reflexes and brain structure.

Main Results:

  • Muskrats are easily acquired and maintained in laboratory settings.
  • They exhibit robust cardiovascular and respiratory reflexes, even when anesthetized.
  • Cerebral cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture are comparable to other mammals, enabling stereotaxic targeting.

Conclusions:

  • Muskrats present a practical and valuable animal model for scientific research.
  • Their physiological and neurological characteristics are suitable for studying neural control of cardiorespiratory systems.
  • Further development of guidelines for using feral animals in research is supported by this work.

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