Journal of Animal Science and Technology

Korean Society of Animal Sciences and Technology (한국축산학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effect of cold stress on infanticide by female Swiss albino mice Mus musculus: a pilot study

  • Zafar, Tabassum (Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Biosciences, Barkatullah University) ;
  • Naik, Ab Qayoom (Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Biosciences, Barkatullah University) ;
  • Shrivastava, Vinoy K. (Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Biosciences, Barkatullah University)
  • Received : 2017.07.25
  • Accepted : 2018.04.13
  • Published : 2018.04.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Background: Mice are widely accepted research models of great clinical significance. Maintenance of laboratory mice breed is an essential aspect for performing research activities in various fields of science. Infanticide is one of the prominent causes of litter loss during maintenance of laboratory mice stock. The present study is an effort to monitor the effect of change in ambient temperature of female mice below the normal range on cannibalism and infanticide during early postparturition phase. Adult female Swiss albino mice have been divided into two groups of control and treatment. On the day of litter group one was maintained under controlled temperature conditions (minimum $20^{\circ}C$ to maximum $23^{\circ}C$) throughout, while female mice belong to group two have been exposed to variation of room temperature (maximum $15^{\circ}C$ to minimum $10^{\circ}C$ for two nights and one day) until 36 h postparturition. Results: The effects of temperature changes were observed on the infanticide behaviour of dams along with the survival of pups in early postparturition phase till 36 h after delivery. The significant statistical difference (P < 0.05) was reported in infanticide behaviour of dams when control and treatment group was compared. It is observed that decrement in surrounding temperature promotes decrement in the ambient body temperature of dams during early postparturition. It is proposed that alteration of hypothalamic homeostasis due to temperature change induces cannibalism and infanticide behaviour. Lack of thermoregulation during early postparturition creates the sense of insecurity, in-satiety, anxiety and stress. Conclusions: Authors strongly recommend the maintenance of body and surrounding temperature to prevent infanticidal behaviour and cannibalism within Swiss albino mice population. Further investigations are advisable to authenticate the active behavioural and biochemical pathway behind the phenomena.

Keywords

References

  1. Schardein JL, Petrere JA, Hentz DL, Camp RD, Kurtz SM. Cannibalistic traits observed in rats treated with a teratogen. Lab Anim. 1978;12:81-3. https://doi.org/10.1258/ 002367778780953080.
  2. Fox GJ, Barthold WS, Davisson TM, Newcomer EC, Quimby F, Smith LA. The mouse in biomedical research: normative biology, husbandry, and models, vol. 3. 2nd ed; 2007. p. 109-10.
  3. Porter G. Pre-weaning loss of laboratory animals. Proc roy Soc Med. 1968;6:1295.
  4. Mohan C. Age-dependent cannibalism in a colony of albino rats. Lab Anim. 1974;8:83-4. https://doi.org/10.1258/002367774780943869.
  5. Weber EM, Algers B, Hultgren J, Olsson IAS. Pup mortality in laboratory mice infanticide or not? Acta Vet Scand. 2013;55:83. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-55-83.
  6. Meek TH, Lonquich BP, Hannon RM, TJr G. Endurance capacity of mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel running. J Exp Biol. 2009;212: 2908-17. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.028886.
  7. Gopalakrishnan S, Babu MGR, Thangrajan R, Punja D, Jganath DV, Kanth BA, Rao M, Rai SK. Impact of seasonal variant temperatures and laboratory room ambient temperature on mortality of rats with ischemic brain injury. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10:CF01-5.
  8. Lane-Petter W. Cannibalism in rats and mice. Proc Roy Soc Med. 1968; 61:1295-6.
  9. Fox RL. Cannibalism in natural populations. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst. 1975;6: 87-106. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.06.110175.000511
  10. White WJ. Management and design: breeding facilities. In: Fox GJ, Davisson MT, Quinby FW, Barthold SW, Newcomer CE, Smith AL, editors. The mouse in the biomedical research.Second edition: Elsevier; 2007. p. 236-68. https://www.elsevier.com/books/the-mouse-in-biomedical-research/fox/978-0-12-369456-0.
  11. Lynch CB. Evolutionary inferences from genetic analyses of cold adaptation in laboratory and wild populations of the house. In: Boake CRB, editor. Quantitative genetic studies of behavioural evolution. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1994. p. 278-301.
  12. Weber MEI, Olisson OS. Maternal behaviour in Mus musculus sp.: an ethological review. Appl Anim Behave Sci. 2008;114:1-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2008.06.006
  13. Weber MEI. Pup mortality in laboratory mice influence of maternal behaviour and housing environment: Doctoral thesis: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; 2015. p. 44-5. https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/11726/1/weber_e_141219.pdf.
  14. Burn CC, Mason GJ. Effect of cage cleaning frequency on laboratory rat reproduction, cannibalism and welfare. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2008;114:235-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2008.02.005.
  15. Mayer AD, Rosenblatt JS. Hormonal factors influence the onset of maternal aggression in laboratory rats. Horm Behav. 1987;21:253-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/0018-506X(87)90050-X
  16. Numan M. Parental behaviour. Encyclopedia of behavioural neuroscience: Elsevier; 2010.
  17. Wong AY, Kulandavelu S, Whiteley KJ, Qu D, Langille BL, Adamson SL. Maternal cardiovascular changes during pregnancy and postpartum in mice. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2002;3:282.
  18. Morrison SF. Central pathways controlling brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. News Physiol Sci. 2004;19:67-74. https://doi.org/10.1152/ nips.01502.2003.
  19. Scribner SJ, Edwards WKE. Disruption of body temperature and behaviour rhythms during reproduction in dwarf hamsters (Phodopus). Physiol Behav. 1994;55:361-9. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(94)90147-3
  20. Boulant JA, Hardy JD. The effect of spinal and skin temperatures on the firing rate and thermosensitivity of preoptic neurones. J Physiol Lond. 1974; 240:639-60. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010627
  21. Dimicco JA, Zaretsky DV. The dorsomedial hypothalamus: a new player in thermoregulation. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007;292:47-63. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00498.2006
  22. Martha AM, Kinsley C, Broida J, Svare B. Infanticide exhibited by female mice: genetic, developmental and hormonal influences. Physiol Behav. 1983; 5:697-702.
  23. Caspi A, Moffitt T. Gene-environment interactions in psychiatry: joining forces with neuroscience. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2006;7:583-90. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1925.
  24. Abbatiello ER. Alteration of maternal behaviour in mice following administration of cyproterone acetate. J Pharma Sci. 1974;63:152. https://doi.org/10.1002/jps.2600630143

Cited by

  1. How Does Economic Inequality Affect Infanticide Rates? An Analysis of 15 Years of Death Records and Representative Economic Data vol.16, pp.19, 2018, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193679
  2. Identification, functional prediction, and key lncRNA verification of cold stress-related lncRNAs in rats liver vol.10, pp.None, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-57451-7