A trial on oxygen content and its stability in GM500 IVC Tecniplast cages was performed in order to confirm the excellent ventilation performances of the caging system. Haemocrome was used as indicator of mice welfare when maintained in Ventilated or open cages.
Oxygen concentration in Individually Ventilated caging systems (IVCs) was recently found to be slightly lower than optimal for an ideal microenvironment to house laboratory mice. Given the substantial technical differences between IVCs of different brands, yielding different intra-cage environmental conditions, it was decided to monitor the micro-environment of an Individually Ventilated Cage system .and the impact on Red Blood Cell count and related parameters in C57Bl/6J mice housed either in ventilated or open cages.
A very minor decrease in the oxygen level was detected in both conditions approaching the cage change procedure (performed every two weeks) and no differences in the haematological parameters were detectable after 6 weeks conditioning of mice in the two systems.
The IVC microenvironment was shown to be free from any impact on the haematological parameters taken into consideration in this trial when compared to the “open cage” set-up. For more information on this trial or a copy of the white paper, contact your TP Representative.
References:
Animal Technology and Welfare, August 2013, 83 – 86.
Tecniplast White Paper, Gianpaolo Milite, March 2013
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