When disaster strikes: rethinking caging materials.
The value of research using lab animals hinges on the ability to carry out experiments in a tightly controlled environment. Diet, caging materials (e.g., cages and water bottles), and other environmental variables have the potential to create serious disruptions in animal studies. The authors describe the inadvertent damage of polycarbonate caging materials during the course of routine cagewashing, providing an instructive example and illustrating the importance of defined and controlled environmental conditions in biomedical research.
Koehler
Kara E
KE
Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4955, USA.
Voigt
Robert C
RC
Thomas
Sally
S
Lamb
Bruce
B
Urban
Cheryl
C
Hassold
Terry
T
Hunt
Patricia A
PA
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced; D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007756:Laboratory Animal Science; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D003902:Detergents; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D010636:Phenols; D011108:Polymers; C017902:lexan; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds