The environmental adaptability and disease resistance of mice are not as good as other experimental animals. There are many variants and strains of mice, and each variant and strain has its own requirements, so it should be clean and comfortable. living environment. Mice of different grades must live in corresponding facilities.
The critical temperature is low temperature 10℃, high temperature 37℃, and the neutral temperature range is 30~33℃. The management of the breeding environment must meet the following requirements: temperature 18-29°C, relative humidity 40-70%, preferably 18-22°C, humidity 50-60%. Generally, the temperature in the mouse receiving box is 1-2°C higher than the ambient temperature, and the humidity is 5-10% higher.
In order to keep the temperature and humidity relatively stable, the daily temperature difference should not exceed 3°C. Otherwise, it will directly affect the growth, development, production, reproduction of mice, and even cause diseases in mice and affect the results of experiments. In harsh building conditions, the relative stability of temperature and humidity can be adjusted through air conditioners, humidifiers and heating. In order to keep the indoor air fresh, the ammonia concentration must not exceed 20 ppm, and the number of air changes per hour must reach 10 to 20.
At present, non-toxic plastic mouse boxes, stainless steel wire cages, and metal cages have been widely used in China. The cage is usually movable and can withstand various sterilization methods. Using a clean laminar flow framework to control the reproduction of level 2 and level 3 mice is a better method. The cage should not only ensure that the mouse has room to move, but it should also not be caught or bitten by the mouse frame, and should be easy to clean and disinfect. A cage with a filter cap can reduce the biological pollution of microorganisms, but the high concentration of ammonia and other harmful gases in the cage will affect the accuracy of the experimental results. The water bottle can be a glass bottle or a PET bottle. The stopper has a metal or glass drinking tube, and the capacity is usually 250 ml or 500 ml.
Garbage is the garbage that comes into direct contact with the living environment of mice, and it has the function of absorbing moisture (urine), keeping it warm and forming a nest. Therefore, garbage should be strong, non-toxic, non-irritating, tasteless, dusty and edible, and should make animals feel comfortable. Toilet sand needs to be disinfected and sterilized to remove potential pathogens and harmful substances. Usually, the bedding material is hardwood chips and sawdust, and can also be used after processing, crushing and dusting corncobs. for
Experiment, do not use conifer wood shavings (pine, cypress, fir) as bedding. This type of shavings will release aromatic volatiles, which can damage liver cells and make pharmacological and toxicological experiments demanding. Great interference.
In foreign countries, there are specialized waste production companies engaged in waste production, but China's waste industry still needs to develop. Today, most of the laboratory animal sector in China uses wood processing by-products, such as sawdust and wood shavings. The source and tree species are difficult to control and have many negative effects on the quality control of laboratory animals.