Administration of meloxicam to improve the welfare of mice in research: a systematic review (2000 - 2020).

Although laboratory animals experience pain as a necessary component of the objectives of experimental protocols, the level of pain should be minimized through use of an adequate analgesic regimen. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam may be beneficial in alleviating post-operative pain in mice, although no regimen has been demonstrated as universally efficacious owing to differences in experimental protocols, strain, sex, and incomplete descriptions of methodology in the literature. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify potential applications of meloxicam for pain management in experimental mice and to evaluate the general quality of study design.

A probiotic has differential effects on allergic airway inflammation in A/J and C57BL/6 mice and is correlated with the gut microbiome.

The phenotypes of allergic airway diseases are influenced by the interplay between host genetics and the gut microbiota, which may be modulated by probiotics. We investigated the probiotic effects on allergic inflammation in A/J and C57BL/6 mice. C57BL/6 mice had increased gut microbiota diversity compared to A/J mice at baseline.

A Simple and Fast Battery Test for Phenotypic Characterization of Mice.

Despite the great number of test batteries already known to assess the behavior of genetically modified and inbred strains of mice, only a few of them focus on basic neurological parameters. The purpose of the battery test proposed is to settle a specific methodology to characterize the phenotype of neurological disease models in mutant or genetically modified mice. This methodology is simple and efficient in order to analyze several parameters, including general activity, sensory nervous system, sensorimotor system, central nervous system and autonomous nervous system.

Behavioral and neurochemical characterization of the spontaneous mutation tremor, a new mouse model of audiogenic seizures.

The tremor mutant phenotype results from an autosomal recessive spontaneous mutation arisen in a Swiss-Webster mouse colony. The mutant mice displayed normal development until three weeks of age when they began to present motor impairment comprised by whole body tremor, ataxia, and decreased exploratory behavior. These features increased in severity with aging suggesting a neurodegenerative profile.

Fecal IgA Levels and Gut Microbiota Composition Are Regulated by Invariant Natural Killer T Cells.

Background: The gut microbiota is a key element to support host homeostasis and the development of the immune system. The relationship between the microbiota and immunity is a 2-way road, in which the microbiota contributes to the development/function of immune cells and immunity can affect the composition of microbes. In this context, natural killer T cells (NKT cells) are distinct T lymphocytes that play a role in gut immunity and are influenced by gut microbes.

Genetic and behavioral characterization of a Kmt2d mouse mutant, a new model for Kabuki Syndrome.

The recessive mutant mice bate palmas (bapa) - claps in Portuguese arose from N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis. A single nucleotide, T > C, change in exon 13, leading to a Thr Ala substitution, was identified in the lysine (K)-specific methyltransferase 2D gene (Kmt2d) located on chromosome 15. Mutations with a loss-of-function in the KMT2D gene on chromosome 12 in humans are responsible for Kabuki syndrome (KS).

Description of Ovariectomy Protocol in Mice.

Estrogen and ovarian function decline are relevant characteristics of menopause period. Numerous physiological, metabolic and immunological alterations in the female body occur in the menopause period and some of these changes remain uncertain. The animal model that mimics menopause phase is an important approach to better comprehend the biological process involved in this period of women life.