Yuan4 animal documentation

Aging study: Vaginal opening and sexual maturation in females of 33 inbred strains of mice   (2009)

Yuan R
With: Schultz D, Godfrey D




Yuan4_Animal

JAC Aging Study

Acclimation and testing periods

Mice identification Microchips (Locus Technology, Inc., Manchester, MD 21102) were implanted subcutaneously to identify mice used in aging-related phenotype studies
Ages
After weaning, the mice were incorporated into the study in staggered cohorts
Feed
Mice received ad libitum access to autoclaved pelleted diet with 6% fat (Lab diet 5K52, PMI Nutritional International, Bentwood, Mo)
Water
Mice were given ad libitum access to acidified water (pH 2.8-3.1)
Housing
Mice of the same sex were housed 4/pen in pressurized individually ventilated (PIV) polycarbonate cages measuring 31 x 31 x 214 cm divided into two pens supplied with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered air (Thoren Caging Systems Inc., Hazleton, Pennsylvania)
Bedding
Autoclaved white pine shavings (Crobb Box Co. Ellsworth, Maine) were used as bedding
Photoperiod
12 h (light) ON, 12 h (without light) OFF in a light:dark cycle
Relative humidity ~50%
Temperature
Temperature was maintained between 21-23°C
Health status
The mice were kept in a barrier facility, where room entry procedures required personnel to don caps, face masks, disposable gowns, shoe covers, and gloves. Personnel working in this facility were not allowed to have rodent pets. Mouse colonies in this facility were monitored four times a year for (and are free of) 15 viruses (mouse hepatitis virus, two mouse parvoviruses, reovirus, Theiler's mouse encephalomyelitis virus, ectromelia virus, mouse rotavirus, thymic virus, pneumonia virus of mice, Sendai virus, murine cytomegalovirus, lactic dehydrogenase-elevating virus, K virus, mouse adenovirus, and polyoma virus), 17 bacterial species (including Helicobacter spp. and P pneumotropica), two Mycoplasma spp., external and internal parasites, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi.