http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/rodents/ Rodents in scientific research. Read about rats, hamsters and mice. Learn about mouse allergens, beach mouse habitats, rodent control, lab mice, and the common house mouse. en-us Fri, 16 May 2008 17:05:01 EDT Fri, 16 May 2008 17:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/rodents/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514124110.htm The mouse is a stalwart stand-in for humans in medical research, thanks to genomes that are 85 percent identical. But identical genes may behave differently in mouse and man, a study by evolutionary biologists reveals. Thu, 15 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514124110.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084005.htm Some Malagasy mouse lemurs are so similar that picking a mate of the right species, especially at night time in a tropical forest, might seem like a matter of pot luck. However, new research has shown that our desperately cute distant cousins use vocalizations to pick up a partner of the right species. Wed, 14 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429204236.htm A new holistic approach to assess model behavior has been proposed and evaluated by researchers at the University of Tokyo and Osaka Bioscience Institute. The lifestyle of the mouse has been monitored in a way comparable with that of monitoring humans. The animal's every move is recorded by pressure sensors under the cage, and this information is collected for more than 24 hours. Thu, 01 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429204236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409153318.htm Metastasis, the spread of cancer from a primary site to other tissues and organs in the body, is the leading cause of death among cancer patients. Without an animal model that consistently reproduces human-like metastasis, researchers have relied on individual cancer patients to assess new therapies. Researchers now have a new mouse model they used it to make a new finding about the role of macrophage cells in the spread of cancer. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409153318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402071547.htm Scientists have long known that emotions and other personality traits and disorders run together in families. But finding which genes are most important in controlling emotions has proven difficult. Researchers have noted that male mice make high-frequency vocalizations during sexual interactions with female mice. These high-frequency calls are associated with approach behaviors, and with genes that control positive emotions. In the courtship phase, before mounting, males usually made simple whistles or modulated calls. After mounting the females, however, the males shifted to more complex "chirp-like" vocalizations. The male vocalizations increased in number and complexity as intensity increased. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402071547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317151933.htm Scientists have developed a new mouse model to help illuminate the vagaries of autism, according to a study from a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher and other colleagues. The study focused on mice missing the gabrb3 gene, which codes for a protein important in brain development and normal adult brain function Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317151933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312143900.htm Researchers have developed a new, lean mouse with characteristics suggesting that someday, using medication to manipulate a specific protein in humans could emerge as a strategy to treat obesity and disorders associated with excess weight, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome. To create the hybrid, scientists crossed mice deficient in protein kinase C beta with the C57 black mouse, a common animal used in research for studying diabetes and obesity. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312143900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131537.htm Scientists have established a mouse model for human malignant mesothelioma that will provide valuable insight into cancer development and progression along with new directions for design of therapeutic strategies. The research may eventually lead to a substantially improved outlook for patients with this devastating disease. Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer originating from the mesothelial lining of the pleural cavity and is associated with asbestos exposure and is characterized by a long latency period between exposure and disease onset. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306115346.htm Researchers trying to improve cancer immune therapy have made an unexpected find: They've produced the most accurate mouse model to date of inflammatory bowel disease, a cluster of conditions that afflict approximately 1.4 million Americans with abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306115346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301214737.htm Frustrated by the slow pace of new drug development for a condition that causes pediatric brain tumors, a neurologist decided to try to fine-tune the animal models used to test new drugs. Instead of studying one mouse model of the disease causing the brain tumors, he evaluated three. They "auditioned" the three models to see which was the best match for neurofibromatosis 1, a genetic condition that increases the risk of brain tumors and afflicts more than 100,000 people in the United States. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301214737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301081740.htm Kidney stones are very common -- and painful -- in men. About 3 in 20 men (1 in 20 women) in developed countries develop them at some stage. Mice, however, rarely suffer though the precise reasons are unknown. Now researchers have come up with some answers. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301081740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229163035.htm Results from a new national survey demonstrate that elevated allergen levels in the home are associated with asthma symptoms in allergic individuals. The study suggests that asthmatics that have allergies may alleviate symptoms by reducing allergen exposures inside their homes. Asthma is one of the most common chronic ailments in the United States, affecting more than 22 million people. Asthma has been shown to be triggered by a wide range of substances called allergens. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229163035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219150142.htm Researchers have developed the first animal model of the infection caused by chikungunya virus, an emerging arbovirus associated with large-scale epidemics. Using this mouse model scientists determined which tissues and cells are infected by the virus in both the mild and severe forms of the disease it causes. Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219150142.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213163202.htm A mouse bred to have the same genetic mutation as people with myotonic dystrophy provides important clues about the cause of muscle wasting in the disorder, the most common form of muscular dystrophy that begins in adulthood. Unlike previous mouse models of the disease, these animals have a genetic mutation that causes the muscle wasting that is the most devastating element of this inherited disorder, said one of the researchers, who is also a professor of pathology and molecular and cellular biology. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213163202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207172343.htm The prototypical member of the VEGF family of proteins, VEGF, protects cells in the nervous system from death and degeneration. However, its clinical utility in this regard is limited, because it also induces blood vessel growth, a process known as angiogenesis. However, a new study has revealed that another VEGF family member, VEGF-B, does not have such limitations as it acts as a potent inhibitor of murine retinal cell death while exerting minimal angiogenic effects. Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207172343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205195818.htm Scientists have been able to recreate rhinovirus infection, which is behind most common colds, in a small animal for the first time. For fifty years since they were discovered, it had been thought that rhinoviruses could only infect humans and chimpanzees. Rhinoviruses are an unwelcome inconvenience for the majority of the population as they cause around three quarters of common colds. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205195818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201093354.htm DNA of the common black rat has shed light on the ancient spread of rats, people and diseases around the globe. Studying the mitochondrial DNA of 165 black rat specimens from 32 countries around the world, a scientists have identified six distinct lineages in the black rat's family tree, each originating from a different part of Asia. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201093354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130092139.htm Using mice as models, researchers traced some of the differences between humans and chimpanzees to differences in our diet. By feeding laboratory mice different human and chimp diets over a mere two week period, researchers were able to reconstruct some of the physiological and genetic differences observed between humans and chimpanzees. Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130092139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124202633.htm It's the Chinese Year of the Rat, and if there's ever been an animal that needed a total image makeover, it's the rat. Many people loathe rats and associate them with disease and filth -- hardly a four-star recommendation for the furry creatures. But the truth is, they are highly intelligent animals, have been amazingly beneficial in medicine and can be very affectionate pets, says a veterinarian and rat expert. Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124202633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114213222.htm Prescription drugs now used to treat human immunodeficiency virus infection in adults may prevent the vaginal transmission of HIV, researchers have found. Using a highly sophisticated human/mouse chimera or "humanized mouse" model, the researchers discovered that anti-retroviral drugs given daily before and after exposure to HIV can prevent vaginal transmission of the virus that causes AIDS. Worldwide, the vast majority of newly acquired HIV infections occur through unprotected vaginal sex with an infected partner. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114213222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114162452.htm Researchers have for the first time attempted to count the number of genes that contribute to obesity and body weight. The findings suggest that over 6,000 genes -- about 25 percent of the genome -- contribute to help determine an individual's body weight. This high degree of complexity suggests that a quick fix to the obesity problem is unlikely. Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114162452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114173923.htm Scientists have successfully switched the mouse Prx1 gene regulatory element with the Prx1 gene regulatory region from a bat -- and although these two species are separated by millions of years of evolution -- the resulting transgenic mice displayed abnormally long forelimbs. Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114173923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114213225.htm A new kind of laboratory mouse can be used to test the efficacy of much-needed methods to prevent transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to new research. The findings demonstrate the utility of such mice for animal testing of pre-exposure antiviral drugs to protect against HIV infection. Such mice also provide a new way of evaluating microbicides and other prevention approaches that have generally required testing in macaques, using viruses that are related, but not identical, to HIV. Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114213225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071215202517.htm There is something out there, and what a professor and his students are finding is surprising them. They are evaluating the quality of Interstate 70 as a small mammal habitat from the Indiana state line to Marshall, Illinois. They are finding mice and other rodents that call the medians, triangles and roadsides home. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071215202517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214094129.htm While it is well understood that the evolution of new genes leads to adaptations that help species survive, gene loss may also afford a selective advantage. Scientists identified 26 losses of long-established genes, including 16 that were not previously known. Next they compared the identified genes in the complete genomes of the human, chimpanzee, rhesus monkey, mouse, rat, dog, and opossum to estimate the amount of time the gene was functional before it was lost. This refined the timing of the gene loss and also served as a benchmark for whether the gene in question was long-established, and therefore probably functional, or merely a loss of a redundant gene copy. Through this process, they found 6 genes that were lost only in the human. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214094129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126100611.htm House dust mite allergen levels in Sydney beds are determined by the season, with new research discovering fluctuations of such magnitude between summer and autumn levels they may be sufficient to influence asthma symptoms in sufferers. Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126100611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071208092448.htm By introducing a gene mutation in mice, investigators have created what they believe to be the first accurate model of autism not associated with a broader neuropsychiatric syndrome, according to new research. Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071208092448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206145301.htm This is the first proof of principle for using adult cells reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, combined with gene and cell therapy, for successful disease treatment in mice. Similar "induced pluripotent stem cells" were recently derived with human cells. Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206145301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071205140115.htm This study is the first to identify protein pheromones responsible for the aggression response in male mice. The findings could provide a tool for understanding the neural pathways that play a role in human behavior. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071205140115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129183745.htm Biologist in the tick-infested woods of the Hudson Valley are challenging the widely held belief that mice are the main animal reservoir for Lyme disease in the US. Chipmunks and two shrew species, not just mice, are the four species that account for major outbreaks. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129183745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204102511.htm Respiration deficiencies in mitochondria, the cell's powerhouses, are associated with changed social behavior and spatial memory in laboratory mice. This research may open the door to understanding the connection in humans between mitochondrial breakdowns and mental illness. Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204102511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204091921.htm Cells cultured in the lab are like a fish out of water. Often, their behavior does not reflect their biological function within an entire organ or organism, which, for example, turns studying human liver cells into a big challenge. Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204091921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128163249.htm Researchers have used gene arrays to identify genes whose activity changes with age in 16 different mouse tissues. The study uses a newly available database called AGEMAP to document the process of aging in mice at the molecular level. The work describes how aging affects different tissues in mice, and ultimately could help explain why lifespan is limited to just two years in mice. Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128163249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127080344.htm A mouse resistant to cancer, even highly-aggressive types, has been created. The breakthrough stems from a discovery in radiation medicine and researchers who found a tumor-suppressor gene called "Par-4" in the prostate. Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127080344.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071121162443.htm Both humans and mice that manage to live to a ripe, old age show a clear change in their glucose metabolism, but it's unclear whether this change alone can increase lifespan. Using a mouse model of longevity scientists report that changes in metabolism can indeed increase longevity. They demonstrated that long-lived Snell dwarf mice burn less glucose and more fatty acids during periods of fasting, and as a result produce fewer free radicals. Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071121162443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101193418.htm More than half of all orally-prescribed medications are broken down in the intestine and liver by an enzyme known as CYP3A before reaching their site of action. Researchers have now developed a mouse model for predicting the loss in available drug due to first-pass metabolism by CYP3A, providing a tool to help predict whether drugs being developed will work effectively if given orally. Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101193418.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115135430.htm There's one more reason to try to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, scientists have discovered: bites from mosquitoes that aren't infected by the West Nile virus may make the disease worse in people who acquire it later from West Nile-infected mosquitoes. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115135430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112201242.htm Rats palpate objects with their whiskers to perceive texture. Their judgment of texture is predicted by the firing rate of neurons in the somatosensory cortex. Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112201242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101162739.htm Researchers have bred a line of "mighty mice" that have the capability of running five to six kilometers at a speed of 20 meters per minute on a treadmill for up to six hours before stopping. These genetically engineered mice also eat 60 percent more than controls, but remain fitter, trimmer and live and breed longer than wild mice in a control group. Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101162739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029100627.htm Genetically engineered mice may hold the key to helping scientists hasten the development of a vaccine to protect adolescent girls against the most common sexually transmitted disease, chlamydia. The project uses a "mouse model" to study how the immune system responds to infections such as chlamydia. Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029100627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024093535.htm Researchers have used an existing genetic tool to study how human embryonic stem cells self-renew. The researchers used "knockdown" technology to reduce the expression, and plasmid vectors to increase the expression of oct4, a gene known to be necessary for self renewal. Both procedures resulted in differentiation, but with similar patterns, unlike mouse ES cells that differentiate into a different cell types with oct4 up-and down-regulation. Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024093535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019145443.htm Biologists report a rapid change of morphology and mitochondrial genes in a mouse common to a Chicago-area conservation area, with an older, established genotype of the mouse being pushed out by another type over a recent five-year period as nearby human suburban development progressed. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019145443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019093241.htm By injecting embryonic stem cells from a wood mouse into the early embryo of a house mouse, scientists have produced normal healthy animals made up of a mixture of cells from each of the two distantly related species. This is the first time that stem cells from one mammalian species have been shown to contribute extensively to development when introduced into the embryo of another, very different species. Although both are rodents, the wood mouse and the house mouse have evolved separately for up to 20 million years. Their genes differ by as much as 18 percent, about 12 times the difference between human and chimpanzee. Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019093241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015225336.htm Who would have thought that the secrets to long life might exist in the naked, wrinkled body of one of the world's ugliest animals? Probably not many, but current research may be leading seekers of the Fountain of Youth to a strange little beast -- the naked mole rat. The naked mole rat is certainly not one of nature's cuddliest species. These small rodents are hairless, wrinkled, blind and buck-toothed. Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015225336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926172246.htm Mice teeth can explain human troubles with the wisdom teeth, according to scientists. For a long time scientists have suspected that genetic and developmental interactions may also influence species-specific properties. Now, researchers show how development affects the evolution of teeth, and have devised a simple developmental model to predict aspects of teeth across many species. Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926172246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070924095856.htm Researchers in California are reporting new evidence explaining pomegranate juice's mysterious beneficial effects in fighting prostate cancer. In a new study scientists have found that the tart, trendy beverage also uses a search-and-destroy strategy to target prostate cancer cells. Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070924095856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070910173810.htm The researchers developed the transgenic mouse by inserting the gene for mutant Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC-1) into a normal mouse, along with a promoter that enables the gene to be switched on or off. Mutant DISC-1 was previously identified in a Scottish family with a strong history of schizophrenia and related mental disorders. Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070910173810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070906140744.htm Researchers have genetically engineered mice that harbor the same genetic mutation found in some people with autism and Asperger syndrome. Mice with this mutation show a similar type of social impairment and cognitive enhancement as the type seen in some people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs are enigmatic cognitive disorders that impair a patient's social interactions, but do not necessarily limit their intelligence. Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070906140744.htm