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Environmental Enrichment Trial Environmental Enrichment Trial ANU BioscienceANU Bioscience

Simon BainSimon Bain

Director, Office of Research Director, Office of Research Integrity, ANUIntegrity, ANU

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AEEC PositionAEEC Position

January 2008 meeting unanimously January 2008 meeting unanimously moved that all ANU experimental moved that all ANU experimental animals would be provided with a animals would be provided with a degree of environmental enrichment degree of environmental enrichment within 2-3 years.within 2-3 years.

Ie by December 31 2010Ie by December 31 2010

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Definitions of Environmental Definitions of Environmental EnrichmentEnrichment

Environmental enrichment is the Environmental enrichment is the provision of stimuli which promote provision of stimuli which promote the expression of species appropriate the expression of species appropriate behavioural and mental activitiesbehavioural and mental activities

Patterson-Kane (2003): An increase in Patterson-Kane (2003): An increase in the complexity or naturalness of an the complexity or naturalness of an enclosure with the goal of improving enclosure with the goal of improving animal welfareanimal welfare

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Why the Need for Environmental Why the Need for Environmental Enrichment (Neuroscience)Enrichment (Neuroscience)

Scientific publications indicate that Scientific publications indicate that mice in non-enriched cages have mice in non-enriched cages have impaired brain development, impaired brain development, stereotypies, and an anxious stereotypies, and an anxious behavioural profile.behavioural profile.

Are these appropriate subjects for Are these appropriate subjects for neuroscience investigationneuroscience investigation

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Environmental Environmental EnrichmentEnrichment

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Tissue and cereal boxes, egg cartons, or any other box that can Tissue and cereal boxes, egg cartons, or any other box that can be autoclavedbe autoclaved

Half tunnel

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Mouse huts, igloos, cubes, and tunnels

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Rodent chew productsRodent chew products

Chew blocksChew blocks

• Rodent gnaw bone

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Australian Code of Practice for the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (7Scientific Purposes (7thth Ed) Ed)

4.4.19 Animal accommodation should 4.4.19 Animal accommodation should be designed and managed to meet be designed and managed to meet species specific needsspecies specific needs

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Concept of “Biological Relevance”Concept of “Biological Relevance”

That only biologically relevant That only biologically relevant enrichments (those that allow animals enrichments (those that allow animals to control stressors in there to control stressors in there environment) will benefit wellbeing environment) will benefit wellbeing and allow full expression of species and allow full expression of species specific behaviourspecific behaviour

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Preference TestingPreference Testing

Mice show strong preferences for Mice show strong preferences for cages that provide nesting material cages that provide nesting material and nest building plays a central role and nest building plays a central role in the natural history of wild micein the natural history of wild mice

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Thermoregulatory StabilityThermoregulatory Stability

Monitored by radiotelometry it has been Monitored by radiotelometry it has been established that the thermoneutral zone for established that the thermoneutral zone for mice ranges between 26c and 34 cmice ranges between 26c and 34 c

Rome Conference Oct 2009. Joe Garner Rome Conference Oct 2009. Joe Garner from Purdue demonstrated how nests of from Purdue demonstrated how nests of appropriate materials provide a thermal appropriate materials provide a thermal compensating mechanism to achieve compensating mechanism to achieve ambient temperatures that approach ambient temperatures that approach thermoneutralitythermoneutrality

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Empty toilet rolls are cheap, can be autoclaved, mice can hide in them, and chew them.

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Nesting MaterialNesting MaterialShredded paper, tissues, or commercial varieties.Shredded paper, tissues, or commercial varieties.

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Purdue Study (2008) Purdue Study (2008) Home Improvement: C57Bl/6J Mice Given More Naturalistic Nesting Home Improvement: C57Bl/6J Mice Given More Naturalistic Nesting

Materials Build Better Nests Materials Build Better Nests Hess et al. Hess et al.

Am Assoc Lab An Sc (2008) Vol 47 No 6 25-31Am Assoc Lab An Sc (2008) Vol 47 No 6 25-31

Looked at a variety of nesting materials to Looked at a variety of nesting materials to ascertain which nesting material best ascertain which nesting material best paralleled natural nest building. Trialled paralleled natural nest building. Trialled shredded paper strips, facial tissue, and shredded paper strips, facial tissue, and compressed cotton squares. Shredded compressed cotton squares. Shredded paper produced high quality nests similar paper produced high quality nests similar to wild counterpartsto wild counterparts

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Shepherds Cob PlusShepherds Cob Plus

Contain Alpha Twists which are Contain Alpha Twists which are minirolls of multi-layered virgin paper minirolls of multi-layered virgin paper cut into short lengthscut into short lengths

Capability to provide enrichment Capability to provide enrichment which we normally provide to which we normally provide to breeding mice in a different form, in a breeding mice in a different form, in a manner that has high biological manner that has high biological relevance.relevance.

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