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Effects of natural enrichment materials on stress, memory and exploratory behavior in mice

Lab Animal volume 44, pages 262–267 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Environmental enrichment is an essential component of laboratory animal housing that allows animals to engage in natural behaviors in an otherwise artificial setting. Previous research by the authors suggested that, compared with synthetic enrichment materials, natural materials were associated with lower stress levels in mice. Here, the authors compare the effects of different enrichment materials on stress, memory and exploratory behavior in Swiss Webster mice. Mice that were provided with natural enrichment materials had lower stress levels, better memory and greater exploratory behavior than did mice provided with synthetic enrichment materials or with no enrichment materials. These findings suggest that provision of natural enrichment materials can improve well-being of laboratory mice.

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Figure 1: Enrichment conditions.
Figure 2: Fecal corticosterone concentration (mean ± s.e.m.) in mice provided with natural enrichment materials was significantly lower than in those provided with no enrichment in each generation and in those provided with synthetic enrichment materials in generations F0 and F1B.
Figure 3: TCAT alternation percentage (mean ± s.e.m.) during all testing sessions for all mice of each generation in each enrichment condition.
Figure 4: Total distance traveled per session (mean ± s.e.m.) for all mice of each generation in each enrichment condition.
Figure 5: Individual pup weight (mean ± s.e.m.) for all three litters of generations F1A and F1B in each enrichment condition.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the University of Nevada School of Medicine Laboratory Animal Care Service for protocol assistance. We also thank Dr. John J. Hasenau and Dr. Richard Simmonds for their support. Finally, we thank BioServ and Enzo Life Sciences for donations of materials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV

    Casey J Acklin

  2. College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME

    Ruth A Gault

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  1. Casey J Acklin
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  2. Ruth A Gault
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Correspondence to Casey J Acklin.

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Competing interests

Enrichment materials for this study were donated by Bio-Serv.

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Acklin, C., Gault, R. Effects of natural enrichment materials on stress, memory and exploratory behavior in mice. Lab Anim 44, 262–267 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.735

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