Group housing of male mice has been described as a stressful condition. In particular, subordinate male mice have been reported to show increased levels of stress-related behavioural and physiological parameters. In many studies, however, males are housed in groups of adult unfamiliar and genetically unrelat-ed individuals. We review here a series of recent studies investigating the behav-iour and the physiology of group housed male sibling Swiss CD1 mice. As adults, Dominants (D) and Subordinates (S) were subjected to the Open Field Test and the Free Exploratory Paradigm. Body-weights were monitored and relevant organs (adrenals, testis, spleen, thymus, preputials) weighed. Basal corticos-terone level and immune competence were also determined. Results showed no difference between D and S in any parameters measured. Our data provide evi-dence that social status in a sibling context is not stressful for male mice because no differences were detected between dominants and subordinates. From a review of the literature, it was possible to conclude that what is stressful for a mouse is not the group-housing condition in itself but the lack of familiari-ty/relatedness with respect to the cage mates. Furthermore, the majority of stud-ies on social stress, are performed with animals having either no or limited expe-rience of aggression, i.e. they lack a natural component of the social behaviour in this species. In contrast, we suggest that group housed siblings, living in a non-stressful condition and experiencing a non-deprived social setting, can be regarded as a valid control group. It is also suggested that living in a non-stressful condition, mice housed in same-sex sibling groups since birth, also pro-vides the ideal social environment for the welfare of the laboratory housed mice.

Group housed mice are they really stressed? / Bartolomucci, Alessandro; Palanza, P; Parmigiani, S.. - In: ETHOLOGY ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - ISSN 0394-9370. - 14:(2002), pp. 341-350. [10.1080/08927014.2002.9522735]

Group housed mice are they really stressed?

BARTOLOMUCCI, Alessandro;PALANZA, P;PARMIGIANI, S.
2002-01-01

Abstract

Group housing of male mice has been described as a stressful condition. In particular, subordinate male mice have been reported to show increased levels of stress-related behavioural and physiological parameters. In many studies, however, males are housed in groups of adult unfamiliar and genetically unrelat-ed individuals. We review here a series of recent studies investigating the behav-iour and the physiology of group housed male sibling Swiss CD1 mice. As adults, Dominants (D) and Subordinates (S) were subjected to the Open Field Test and the Free Exploratory Paradigm. Body-weights were monitored and relevant organs (adrenals, testis, spleen, thymus, preputials) weighed. Basal corticos-terone level and immune competence were also determined. Results showed no difference between D and S in any parameters measured. Our data provide evi-dence that social status in a sibling context is not stressful for male mice because no differences were detected between dominants and subordinates. From a review of the literature, it was possible to conclude that what is stressful for a mouse is not the group-housing condition in itself but the lack of familiari-ty/relatedness with respect to the cage mates. Furthermore, the majority of stud-ies on social stress, are performed with animals having either no or limited expe-rience of aggression, i.e. they lack a natural component of the social behaviour in this species. In contrast, we suggest that group housed siblings, living in a non-stressful condition and experiencing a non-deprived social setting, can be regarded as a valid control group. It is also suggested that living in a non-stressful condition, mice housed in same-sex sibling groups since birth, also pro-vides the ideal social environment for the welfare of the laboratory housed mice.
2002
Group housed mice are they really stressed? / Bartolomucci, Alessandro; Palanza, P; Parmigiani, S.. - In: ETHOLOGY ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - ISSN 0394-9370. - 14:(2002), pp. 341-350. [10.1080/08927014.2002.9522735]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/1734676
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