TY  - JOUR
AB  - Reliable detection of unwanted organisms is essential for meaningful health monitoring in experimental animal facilities. Currently, most rodents are housed in IVC systems, which prevent the aerogenic transmission of pathogens between cages. Typically soiled-bedding sentinels (SBS) exposed to soiled bedding collected from a population of animals within an IVC rack are tested as representatives, but infectious agents often go undetected due to inefficient transmission. Pasteurellaceae are among the most prevalent bacterial pathogens isolated from experimental mice, and the failure of SBS to detect these bacteria is well established. In this study, we investigated whether analysis of exhaust air dust (EAD) samples by using a sensitive and specific real-time PCR assay is superior to conventional SBS monitoring for the detection of Pasteurella pneumotropica (Pp) infections. In a rack with a known prevalence of Pp-positive mice, weekly EAD sampling was compared with the classic SBS method over 3 mo. In 6 rounds of testing, with a prevalence of 5 infected mice in each of 7 cages in a rack of 63 cages, EAD PCR detected Pp at every weekly time point; SBS failed to detect Pp in all cases. The minimal prevalence of Pp-infected mice required to obtain a reliable positive result by EAD PCR testing was determined to be 1 in 63 cages. Reliable detection of Pp was achieved after only 1 wk of exposure. Analysis of EAD samples by real-time PCR assay provides a sensitive, simple, and reliable approach for Pp identification in laboratory mice.
AU  - Miller, M.
AU  - Ritter, B.
AU  - Zorn, J.
AU  - Brielmeier, M.
C1  - 50067
C2  - 42181
CY  - Memphis
SP  - 775-781
TI  - Exhaust air dust monitoring is superior to soiled bedding sentinels for the detection of pasteurella pneumotropica in individually ventilated cage systems.
JO  - J. Amer. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci.
VL  - 55
IS  - 6
PB  - Amer Assoc Laboratory Animal Science
PY  - 2016
SN  - 1060-0558
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Although various mouse inbred strains are widely used to investigate disease mechanisms and to establish new therapeutic strategies, sex-specific reference intervals for laboratory diagnostic analytes that are generated from large numbers of animals have been unavailable. In this retrospective study, we screened data from more than 12,000 mice phenotyped in the German Mouse Clinic from January 2006 through June 2014 and selected animals with the genetic background of C57BL/6J, C57BL/6N, or C3HeB/FeJ. In addition, we distinguished between the C57BL/6NTac substrain and C57BL/6N mice received from other vendors. The corresponding data sets of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, inorganic phosphate), lipids (cholesterol, triglyceride), and enzyme activities (ALT, AST, ALP, α-amylase) and urea, albumin, and total protein levels were analyzed. Significant effects of age and sex on these analytes were identified, and strain- or substrain- and sex-specific reference intervals for 90- to 135-d-old mice were calculated. In addition, we include an overview of the literature that reports clinical chemistry values for wild-type mice of different strains. Our results support researchers interpreting clinical chemistry values from various mouse mutants and corresponding wild-type controls based on the examined strains and substrains.
AU  - Otto, G.P.
AU  - Rathkolb, B.
AU  - Oestereicher, M.A.
AU  - Lengger, C.
AU  - Moerth, C.
AU  - Micklich, K.
AU  - Fuchs, H.
AU  - Gailus-Durner, V.
AU  - Wolf, E.*
AU  - Hrabě de Angelis, M.
C1  - 48908
C2  - 41493
SP  - 375-386
TI  - Clinical chemistry reference intervals for C57BL/6J, C57BL/6N, and C3HeB/FeJ mice (Mus musculus).
JO  - J. Amer. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci.
VL  - 55
IS  - 4
PY  - 2016
SN  - 1060-0558
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Animal allergens constitute a serious health risk in laboratory animal facilities. To assess possibilities for allergen reduction by technical and organizational measures, we studied personnel exposure to mouse urinary aeroallergens in an animal facility with a holding capacity of 30,000 cages. Short-term (2 h) and intermediate-term (12 h) stationary samples (n = 107) and short-term (2 h) personnel samples (n = 119) were collected on polytetrafluorethylene filters by using air pumps. Long-term (14 d) stationary dust samples containing airborne allergens (n = 165) were collected with electrostatic dust fall collectors (EDC). Mouse allergens were quantified by ELISA. Personnel samples were collected during bedding disposal and refilling of clean cages as well as during cage changing with and without use of cage-changing station. Animal rooms were equipped with either open cages, cages with a soft filter top, cages with a rigid filter top (static microisolation caging), or with individually ventilated cages (IVC) with either a sealed or nonsealed lid, each in positive- or negative-pressure mode. Highest personnel allergen exposure was detected during cage change and emptying of soiled cages. Allergen concentrations were lowest in rooms with sealed IVC under positive or negative pressure, with unsealed IVC under negative pressure, and with static microisolation caging. The use of cage-changing stations and a vacuum bedding-disposal system reduced median personnel exposures 14- to 25-fold, respectively. Using sealed IVC and changing stations minimized allergen exposure, indicating that state-of-the-art equipment reduces exposure to mouse allergens and decreases health risks among animal facility personnel.
AU  - Feistenauer, S.
AU  - Sander, I.*
AU  - Schmidt, J.
AU  - Zahradnik, E.*
AU  - Raulf, M.*
AU  - Brielmeier, M.
C1  - 31941
C2  - 34893
CY  - Memphis
SP  - 356-363
TI  - Influence of 5 different caging types and the use of cage-changing stations on mouse allergen exposure.
JO  - J. Amer. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci.
VL  - 53
IS  - 4
PB  - Amer Assoc Laboratory Animal Science
PY  - 2014
SN  - 1060-0558
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Collecting and analyzing available information on the building plans, concepts, and workflow from existing animal facilities is an essential prerequisite for most centers that are planning and designing the construction of a new animal experimental research unit. Here, we have collected and analyzed such information in the context of the European project Infrafrontier, which aims to develop a common European infrastructure for high-throughput systemic phenotyping, archiving, and dissemination of mouse models. A team of experts visited 9 research facilities and 3 commercial breeders in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Singapore. During the visits, detailed data of each facility were collected and subsequently represented in standardized floor plans and descriptive tables. These data showed that because the local needs of scientists and their projects, property issues, and national and regional laws require very specific solutions, a common strategy for the construction of such facilities does not exist. However, several basic concepts were apparent that can be described by standardized floor plans showing the principle functional units and their interconnection. Here, we provide detailed information of how individual facilities addressed their specific needs by using different concepts of connecting the principle units. Our analysis likely will be valuable to research centers that are planning to design new mouse phenotyping and archiving facilities.
AU  - Kollmus, H.*
AU  - Post, R.*
AU  - Brielmeier, M.
AU  - Fernández, J.*
AU  - Fuchs, H.
AU  - McKerlie, C.*
AU  - Montoliu, L.*
AU  - Otaegui, P.J.*
AU  - Rebelo, M.*
AU  - Riedesel, H.*
AU  - Ruberte, J.*
AU  - Sedlacek, R.*
AU  - Hrabě de Angelis, M.
AU  - Schughart, K.*
C1  - 8374
C2  - 30086
SP  - 418-435
TI  - Structural and functional concepts in current mouse phenotyping and archiving facilities.
JO  - J. Amer. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci.
VL  - 51
IS  - 4
PB  - AMER. ASSOC. LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE 
PY  - 2012
SN  - 1060-0558
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Regular work tasks in the washroom of laboratory animal facilities include cleaning of cages and bottles and handling of chow and bedding. These operations largely are carried out by hand. We quantitatively determined the musculoskeletal load on the trunk and upper limbs of washroom employees in an animal facility with a holding capacity of 35,000 rodent cages by using a computer-assisted, quantitative, recording, and long-term analysis (CUELA) system, which volunteers wore during routine work. Parallel video recording allowed exact assignment of each movement of body and limbs to the data recorded by the sensors. For the most part, trunk movements were unassociated with risk of injury. Evaluation of upper limb movements by CUELA indicated elevated burden on shoulder, elbows, and wrists due to the high repetitiveness and range of movements and postures. However, after additional work factors like low effort and the presence of micropauses were taken into account, workers were not at risk for the development of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs. Handling bottles, chow, and bedding and maneuvering trolleys that entailed greater musculoskeletal loads did not yield evidence of overstraining, because the actions typically were executed alternately and were of short duration during daily shifts. The results represent quantitative information on the musculoskeletal load of regular washroom operations in a laboratory animal facility. These data provide the basis for ergonomic redesign of operations and implementation of automation for highly repetitive movements.
AU  - Kiermayer, C.
AU  - Hoehne-Hückstadt, U.M.*
AU  - Brielmeier, M.
AU  - Brütting, M.*
AU  - Ellegast, R.*
AU  - Schmidt, J.
C1  - 6804
C2  - 29288
SP  - 665-674
TI  - Musculoskeletal load in and highly repetitive actions of animal facility washroom employees.
JO  - J. Amer. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci.
VL  - 50
IS  - 5
PB  - American Assoc. for Laboratory Animal Science
PY  - 2011
SN  - 1060-0558
ER  -