Sudden death in the laboratory rat: cardiac function, sensory, and experiental factors in swimming deaths.
Three reported charateristics of sudden death in the wild rat, (1) bradycardia, (2) decreased survival without whiskers, and (3) increased suvival with preexposure to the stressor, are demonstrated in the domestic rat. Differences in sudden death between wild and domestic rats are discussed as well as possible interpretations of the phenomenon.
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D003645:Death, Sudden; D004242:Diving; D006197:Hair / Q000502:physiology; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012931:Social Environment; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications*; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors; D014110:Touch