Optimizing environmental enrichment for Sprague Dawley rats: Exemplary insights into the liver proteome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Considering the expected increase in the elderly population and the growing emphasis on aging-related biomedical research, the demand for aged laboratory animals has surged, challenging established husbandry practices. Our objective was to establish a cost-effective method for environmental enrichment, utilizing the liver as a representative organ to assess potential metabolic changes in response to differing enrichment levels.

Methods

We conducted a six-month study involving 24 male Sprague Dawley rats, randomly assigned to four environmental enrichment groups. Two groups were housed in standard cages, while the others were placed in modified rabbit cages. Half of the groups received weekly playtime in an activity focused rat housing unit. We evaluated hormone le

SUBMITTER: Roschke NN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11025844 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature