小鼠实验 z-bo 2020-11-10 339

　　As we all know, experimental results at the mouse level are often not applicable to human treatment. However, more and more experimental results recently show that the data obtained in a certain type of mouse subgroup cannot be used in another type of mouse subgroup. Reproduced. This shows that many rodent-level experiments were not rigorous from the beginning.

　　"We usually think that mice are similar, but in fact there are some problems with this view," said Caroline Zeiss, an animal neuropathologist from Yale University. "Researchers rarely record and report in detail the nuances of the environmental factors of the experimental animals they use: such as food, light, etc. These factors have a significant impact on the experimental results."

　　Christopher Colwell, a neuroscientist from the University of California, Los Angeles, studied this problem for the first time. He and another colleague conducted the same behavioral test on mice of the same strain, but got different results. It was later discovered that Professor Colwel had artificially disrupted the biological clocks of these mice: that is, they reversed day and night. This caused these mice to be overly sensitive when conducting experiments during the day.

　　Colwell believes that this phenomenon in mice is also reflected in humans. For example, many subjects performed poorly during the test in the middle of the night, which is not unrelated to the circadian rhythm.

　　Nutrition is another factor that may affect the results of animal experiments. Some mouse feed contains estrogen and other chemicals that destroy endocrine, which makes cancer research results very unstable. In addition, high-fat, high-sugar foods also significantly interfere with obesity-related research.

　　Different food will also affect the distribution characteristics of the intestinal microbial community of mice. Catherine Hagan Gillespie, an animal pathologist from Jackson lab, found that the types of gut microbes in mice that eat different feeds are also quite different. In another unpublished work, she found that microbial differences in the intestines affect the results of behavioral tests in mice.

　　However, few behaviorists will test the types of gut microbes in mice at the same time. Even if they do the relevant tests, they will be confused. After all, the intestinal microbiome of mice is affected by many external factors, such as air quality, mother's stress, and immune system function.

　　The difference in the gut microbiome explains why mice of the same genetic background exhibit different physiological characteristics. Jackson Lab is a company specializing in the establishment and breeding of mice. They strictly control the genetic background of each strain of mice from the quality of food and drinking water, but even so, the test results of these mice will still There are certain differences. The company is currently working to solve this problem.

　　The current fierce competition in the scientific research community makes it difficult for scientists to spare time to consider the issue of animal husbandry. However, if researchers can fully cover different ages and genders in animal laboratories, the experimental results will be more representative. But at the same time, the possibility of publication of these research results will also decrease. This is a difficult contradiction.

　　NIH is trying to solve this problem. Some research institutes have stated that any animal experiment must be repeatedly verified before entering clinical trials. In 2014, NIH requested that female mice be included in animal experiments and provided special funding subsidies.