Behavioral, Clinical, and Physiologic Analysis of Mice Used for Ascites Monoclonal Antibody Production

• Published in: Comparative medicine Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 516 - 526
• Main Author: Peterson, Norman C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 01.10.2000
• Subjects: Animal Welfare; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - biosynthesis; Ascites - immunology; Ascites - pathology; Behavior, Animal; Body Weight; Carcinogens - administration & dosage; Corticosterone - analysis; Corticosterone - blood; Drinking; Eating - physiology; Eating - psychology; Hybridomas - physiology; Injections, Intraperitoneal - veterinary; Least-Squares Analysis; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C - physiology; Mice, Inbred BALB C - psychology; Motor Activity - physiology; Radioimmunoassay - veterinary; Random Allocation; Terpenes - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 1532-0820; 2769-819X

Background and Purpose: The effects of pristane inoculation, ascites accumulation, peritoneocentesis, and analgesics on the well-being of mice used in monoclonal antibody (MAb) production protocols were investigated. Methods: Four experiments, each containing 17 to 21, 6- to 8-week-old male Balb/c mice, were conducted. Each experiment involved a period in which baseline data were collected, followed by intraperitoneal injections of pristane or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) inoculations into each mouse. One week later mice received intraperitoneal inoculations of either hybridoma cells or PBS. Parameters used to assess well-being throughout each of these periods included: wheel-running activity, food and water consumption, open-field box activity, clinical observation, and plasma corticosterone concentration. Results: Compared to controls, pristane inoculation had slight to no affect on mice. There was no evidence of distress in cell-inoculated mice prior to their gaining 25% of their baseline body weight. The number of times (up to three) that peritoneocentesis was performed did not have a significant impact on mice's well-being, but ascites yields were greater when multiple harvests were performed. Cell-inoculated mice that gained weight slowly or developed high-particulate ascites were at higher risk of being distressed. Conclusion: Ascites yields can be maximized by performing multiple harvests; however, the well-being of mice used in such protocols should be closely monitored, as suggested here.