First Author | Jeuthe S | Year | 2020 |
Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 15 |
Issue | 9 | Pages | e0239231 |
PubMed ID | 32997686 | Mgi Jnum | J:296336 |
Mgi Id | MGI:6466610 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0239231 |
Citation | Jeuthe S, et al. (2020) Stress hormones or general well-being are not altered in immune-deficient mice lacking either T- and B- lymphocytes or Interferon gamma signaling if kept under specific pathogen free housing conditions. PLoS One 15(9):e0239231 |
abstractText | It is controversially discussed whether immune-deficient mice experience severity in the absence of infection. Because a comprehensive analysis of the well-being of immune-deficient mice under specific pathogen free conditions is missing, we used a multi-parametric test analyzing, corticosterone, weight, nest building and facial expression over a period of 9 month to determine the well-being of two immune-deficient mouse lines (recombination activating gene 2- and interferon gamma receptor-deficient mice). We do not find evidence for severity when comparing immune-deficient mice to their heterozygous immune-competent littermates. Our data challenge the assumption that immune-deficiency per se regardless of housing conditions causes severity. Based on our study we propose to use objective non-invasive parameters determined by laboratory animal science for decisions concerning severity of immune-deficient mice. |