The influence of persistent crowding on the age changes of behavioral parameters and survival characteristics of rats

One hundred fifty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were submitted to crowding (12 rats/Makrolon-IV cage) from an age of 5 months onwards. An equal number from the same age cohort served as a control (6 rats/Makrolon-IV cage). As part of an age-test program, behavioral parameters (spontaneous motor activity, reactive motor activity and maze-learning ability) were measured at various ages between 8 and 30 months. The rats were sacrificed for additional measurements after the behavioral tests. Survival curves and age-specific mortality rates were calculated for those rats which died spontaneously in the course of the study. Control rats showed a significant decrease in spontaneous motor activity after an age of 18 months. Reactive motor activity of the controls revealed a fall in the number of large movements between 9 and 15 months, whereas the number of small movements increased up to an age of 30 months. Crowding conditions increased significantly both spontaneous and reactive activity. Maze-learning ability declined significantly with age in the controls whereas crowded rats revealed a tendency to better performance which seemed to be submitted to a seasonal rhythm. Crowded rats showed an improved survival characteristic, beginning at an age of 700 days. Mortality curves turned out to be distinct and parallel by straight line regression. It has been concluded that the positive effects of crowding on behavioral parameters and survival could be attributed to a decrease in vulnerability rather than to a lowered rate of aging.