Influence of temperature factors on reproduction of laboratory mice and gerbils
Laboratory mice and gerbils play an important role and are of significant scientific interest in biomedical and preclinical research. However, there are a number of controversial issues regarding the reproduction of laboratory mice. For example, a number of abiotic factors affecting the reproduction of rodents. First of all, the temperature of the environment should be mentioned, it is this factor that does not allow animals to reproduce in winter in natural conditions. In those cases when we are talking about laboratory animal husbandry, this factor can be leveled, and therefore the optimal conditions for the maintenance and reproduction of rodents can be selected. The aim of our study was to carry out a comparative assessment of the effect of temperatures on the reproduction of laboratory mice of the ICR CD-1, BALB / C lines and gerbils. In the course of our study, it was established: a) under standard conventional conditions and at a temperature of 20-26°C, the fertility of mice of the ICR CD-1 lines is lower than when kept in individual ventilated cages at a temperature of 29-32°C, however, the indicators of total the number of offspring obtained, the average yield and safety of the young are higher. b) the content of BALB / C mice in individual ventilated cages at a temperature of 29-32°C negatively affects the average yield of offspring per female and the total number of offspring, while other indicators are identical to animals kept under standard conventional conditions at a temperature of 20-26°C in which the yield of offspring and the total number of offspring obtained was 2 times higher. c) reproduction of gerbils in individual ventilated cages at a keeping temperature of 29-32°C is higher in all respects than under standard conventional conditions (20-26°C). The following recommendations are given: when reproducing mice of the lines ICR CD-1 and BALB / C, the temperature regime should be used from 20 to 26°C, and for gerbils 29-32°C