title: The effects of individually ventilated cages on the respiratory systems of male and female Wistar rats from birth until adulthood.
abstract: To evaluate the respiratory systems of male and female rats maintained in individually ventilated cages (IVCs) from birth until adulthood.
  Female Wistar rats were housed in individually ventilated cages or conventional cages (CCs) and mated with male Wistar rats. After birth and weaning, the male offspring were separated from the females and kept in cages of the same type until 12 weeks of age.
  The level of food consumption was lower in male offspring (IVC=171.7±9; CC=193.1±20) than in female offspring (IVC=100.6±7; CC=123.4±0.4), whereas the water intake was higher in female offspring (IVC=149.8±11; CC=99.2±0) than in male offspring (IVC=302.5±25; CC=249.7±22) at 11 weeks of age when housed in IVCs. The cage temperature was higher in individually ventilated cages than in conventional cages for both male (IVCs=25.9±0.5; CCs=22.95±0.3) and female (IVCs=26.2±0.3; CCs=23.1±0.3) offspring. The respiratory resistance (IVC=68.8±2.8; CC=50.6±3.0) and elastance (IVC=42.0±3.9; CC=32.4±2.0) at 300 µm/kg were higher in the female offspring housed in ventilated cages. The ciliary beat values were lower in both the male (IVCs=13.4±0.2; CC=15±0.4) and female (IVC=13.5±0.4; CC=15.9±0.6) offspring housed in individually ventilated cages than in those housed in conventional cages. The total cell (IVC=117.5±9.7; CC=285.0±22.8), neutrophil (IVC=13.1±4.8; CC=75.6±4.1) and macrophage (IVC=95.2±11.8; CC=170.0±18.8) counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were lower in the female offspring housed in individually ventilated cages than in those housed in conventional cages.
  The environmental conditions that exist in individually ventilated cages should be considered when interpreting the results of studies involving laboratory animals. In this study, we observed gender dimorphism in both the water consumption and respiratory mechanics of rats kept in ventilated cages.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Hipertensão Experimental, Departamento de Medicina Interna, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Guilherme D'Aprile
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Hipertensão Experimental, Departamento de Medicina Interna, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sônia de Fatima
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Hipertensão Experimental, Departamento de Medicina Interna, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isac de
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Politécnica, Laboratório de Engenharia Biomédica, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Guimarães
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Politécnica, Laboratório de Engenharia Biomédica, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Henrique Takachi
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto do Coração (InCor), Laboratório de Pesquisa de Cirurgia Torácica - LIM61, Departamento de Cardiopneumologia, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francine Maria de
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto do Coração (InCor), Laboratório de Pesquisa de Cirurgia Torácica - LIM61, Departamento de Cardiopneumologia, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogerio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pazetti
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Hipertensão Experimental, Departamento de Medicina Interna, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joel Claudio
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Heimann
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Hipertensão Experimental, Departamento de Medicina Interna, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luzia Naôko Shinohara
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D012737:Sex Factors; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014691:Ventilation