Manual versus automated blood sampling: Impact of repeated blood sampling on stress parameters and behavior in male NMRI mice

TY - JOUR

T1 - Manual versus automated blood sampling

T2 - Impact of repeated blood sampling on stress parameters and behavior in male NMRI mice

AU - Teilmann, A C

AU - Kalliokoski, Otto

AU - Sørensen, Dorte B

AU - Hau, Jann

AU - Abelson, Klas S P

N1 - © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - Facial vein (cheek blood) and caudal vein (tail blood) phlebotomy are two commonly used techniques for obtaining blood samples from laboratory mice, while automated blood sampling through a permanent catheter is a relatively new technique in mice. The present study compared physiological parameters, glucocorticoid dynamics as well as the behavior of mice sampled repeatedly for 24 h by cheek blood, tail blood or automated blood sampling from the carotid artery. Mice subjected to cheek blood sampling lost significantly more body weight, had elevated levels of plasma corticosterone, excreted more fecal corticosterone metabolites, and expressed more anxious behavior than did the mice of the other groups. Plasma corticosterone levels of mice subjected to tail blood sampling were also elevated, although less significantly. Mice subjected to automated blood sampling were less affected with regard to the parameters measured, and expressed less anxious behavior. We conclude that repeated blood sampling by automated blood sampling and from the tail vein is less stressful than cheek blood sampling. The choice between automated blood sampling and tail blood sampling should be based on the study requirements, the resources of the laboratory and skills of the staff.

AB - Facial vein (cheek blood) and caudal vein (tail blood) phlebotomy are two commonly used techniques for obtaining blood samples from laboratory mice, while automated blood sampling through a permanent catheter is a relatively new technique in mice. The present study compared physiological parameters, glucocorticoid dynamics as well as the behavior of mice sampled repeatedly for 24 h by cheek blood, tail blood or automated blood sampling from the carotid artery. Mice subjected to cheek blood sampling lost significantly more body weight, had elevated levels of plasma corticosterone, excreted more fecal corticosterone metabolites, and expressed more anxious behavior than did the mice of the other groups. Plasma corticosterone levels of mice subjected to tail blood sampling were also elevated, although less significantly. Mice subjected to automated blood sampling were less affected with regard to the parameters measured, and expressed less anxious behavior. We conclude that repeated blood sampling by automated blood sampling and from the tail vein is less stressful than cheek blood sampling. The choice between automated blood sampling and tail blood sampling should be based on the study requirements, the resources of the laboratory and skills of the staff.

U2 - 10.1177/0023677214541438

DO - 10.1177/0023677214541438

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24958546

SN - 0023-6772

VL - 48

SP - 278

EP - 291

JO - Laboratory Animals

JF - Laboratory Animals

IS - 4

ER -