Time to include the gut microbiota in the hygienic standardisation of laboratory rodents
Abstract
The gut microbiota (GM) composition and its impact on animal experiments has become currently dramatically relevant in our days: (1) recent progress in metagenomic technologies, (2) the availability of large scale quantitative analyses to characterize even subtle phenotypes, (3) the limited diversity of laboratory rodent GM due to strict barriers at laboratory animal vendors, and (4) the availability of up to 300.000 different transgenic mouse strains from different sources displaying a huge variety in their GM composition. In this review the GM is described as a variable in animal experiments which need to be reduced for scientific as well as ethical reasons, and strategies how to implement this in routine diagnostic procedures are proposed. We conclude that we have both enough information available to state that the GM has an essential impact on animal models, as well as the methods available to start dealing with these impacts.
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The microbiological status of animals causes variation in systemic disease parameters.
“Biosecurity (level) | The microbiological status of animals causes variation in systemic disease parameters [194].”
From Reporting animal research: Explanation and elaboration for the ARRIVE guidelines 2.0 (2020) · cites this paper as [194]
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References 188 · Cited by 82
- Authors
- Bleich, A., & Hansen, A. K.
- Affiliations
- Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (DE)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Hansen, Axel Kornerup
- Venue
- Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 81-92
- ISSN
- 0147-9571 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2008721622
- Cited by
- 82
- References
- 188
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal testing and alternatives
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Keywords
- gut microbiota, laboratory rodents, animal models, transgenic mouse strains, microbiome diversity, animal welfare, metagenomics
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Hygiene, Intestines, Laboratory Animal Science, Rodentia, Mice, Metagenome
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