Effect of enriched environment on reproductive  performance and body weight gain in Wistar rats

Satish D Patel; Samir R  Patel; Urvesh D Patel; Guru P Y; Mukul R  Jain

doi:10.48165/jlas.2019.1.2.7

Authors

Satish D Patel Animal Research Facility Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited Gujarat, Ahmedabad Author
Samir R Patel Animal Research Facility Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited Gujarat, Ahmedabad Author
Urvesh D Patel Animal Research Facility Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited Gujarat, Ahmedabad Author
Guru P Y Animal Research Facility Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited Gujarat, Ahmedabad Author
Mukul R Jain Animal Research Facility Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited Gujarat, Ahmedabad Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48165/jlas.2019.1.2.7

Keywords:

Environmental enrichment, reproduction, rats

Abstract

Environment is known to play an important role in animal health, reproduction and its growth. In order to understand the influence of different kind of enrichment items on breeding performance and growth rate, this experiment was carried out on Wistar rats. The male and female rats of mature age were randomly selected and these animals were provided with different kind of enrichment items in cages such as fat rat hut, tunnel and crawl ball during the breeding period. Control animals were not provided with any enrichment item in cages. Reproductive parameter (fertility index, survival success, M/F ratio) were evaluated in all four group of animals. The results indicated that, the presence or absence of enrichment items did not affect the reproductive performance and survival success of the pups. The pups continued to remain exposed to the same kind of enrichment item, to evaluate the effect of enrichment on body weight gain. The male rats with fat rat hut as an enrichment item showed significantly less body weight gain compared to control, whereas female rats with crawl ball and tunnel as enrichment items showed significantly more body weight gain compared to that of control. The result of this study indicates that, male and female may have different discrimination for enrichment items according to their shape, size and surface area; however these enrichment items have no effect on reproductive parameter.

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