Retrospective Analysis of the Effects of Identification Procedures and Cage Changing by Using Data from Automated,...

Area of Science:

• Animal Behavior and Physiology
• Laboratory Animal Science
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Animal behavior and physiology are influenced by numerous variables, including routine laboratory and husbandry procedures.
• Current methods for assessing these effects are often disruptive and limited in frequency or duration.
• Continuous monitoring is essential to capture both acute and long-term effects of procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze the impact of animal identification and cage changing on mouse motion and breathing rates.
• To demonstrate the utility of continuous monitoring for assessing animal responses to routine procedures.
• To highlight how these procedures can inadvertently affect experimental outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of continuously monitored data from mice in their home cages.
• Focus on spontaneous motion and breathing rate patterns following specific procedures.
• Utilized a rodent model of multiple sclerosis for a case study on experimental outcome impact.

Main Results:

• Animal identification (tail tattooing, ear tagging) and cage changing caused distinct, reproducible changes in motion and breathing rates.
• These behavioral and physiological changes persisted for 2–4 days post-procedure.
• Cage changes exhibited strain-, sex-, and time-of-day-dependent effects, but not age-dependent ones.

Conclusions:

• Continuous data collection and retrospective analysis offer high-throughput, longitudinal insights into animal responses to routine procedures.
• Routine husbandry procedures can significantly and lastingly alter animal physiology and behavior.
• Inadvertent effects of routine procedures on experimental outcomes can be identified through careful monitoring and analysis.