INFLUENCE OF THE HANDLING IN THE PRODUCTIVITY AND IN THE PERFORMANCE OF MICE (MUS MUSCULUS)

ABSTRACT

The laboratory animals are biological resources, used in research, that react internal factors related with their sanitary conditions and external factors related to the environment. To minimize variability and to reach the reprodutibility of the experimental results, these factors must be considered for the establishment of standardized handling procedures for the animals. This study was aims at increasing the productivity of the Swiss Webster (Mus musculus) mice colony of the Laboratory Animal Center of the Instituto Biológico of São Paulo. Mice of both sexes for breeding to at 70 days of age were selected. The litters were limited to 8 young/female and the period of weaning was 21 days. At weaning the animals were separated in groups of males and of females. The animals were kept in polypropylene cages under controlled environmental conditions of temperature, humidity, photoperiod and air changes. Weight curves were abtained during the growth phase with the administration of two commercial rations (A and B), and consumption of ration and water was evaluated. The measures of standardization resulted in an increase in the fertility rate, of the natality index and also the weight of the animal at weaning, and the weight curve of the animals during there growth phase was established. The weight of the animals fed with the rations A and B did not presented a significant difference. The results indicated that the measures of standardization of the handling were effective in increasing the productivity of the colony of mice (Mus musculus) Swiss Webster.

KEY WORDS:
Mice (Mus musculus); management; reproduction; productivity.