An experimental method to enhance the intrinsic motivation of tree shrew behavior experiments

Abstract

The present invention is an experimental method for improving the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavioral experiments, and the method consists of three parts: preparation before food restriction experiments, food restriction experiments, and evaluation of behavioral performance after food restriction. Specifically, each tree shrew is subjected to controlled dynamic food restriction in a personalized manner, so that it has a consistent experimental intrinsic driving force that meets behavioral requirements in behavioral experiments. The method is implemented while ensuring the normal activities and normal mental state of the tree shrews. After the experiment, the performance of the tree shrews in certain behavioral experiments is evaluated to confirm that the intrinsic driving force of the behavioral experiment has reached a standardized level. The experimental method of the present invention is not only easy to operate, but also can further guarantee the requirements of tree shrew behavioral experiments in terms of completion quality and time period, promote the repeatability of behavioral experiments, and reduce the interference of differences in the intrinsic driving force of behavioral experiments on the results, making the behavioral results more scientific and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to animal experiments, and in particular to an experimental method for enhancing the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments. Background Art

[0002] The tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) is an emerging experimental model animal. In recent years, there have been many biomedical studies and disease model studies on tree shrews. Tree shrews have become a mature animal model for many diseases such as breast cancer, stress sensitivity, and hepatitis B infection. Existing studies on tree shrew systematic taxonomy show that its evolutionary status is between rodents and primates, and its relationship with primates is closer than that with rodents. Scholars have also found that tree shrews and monkeys have similar learning performance in the same visual discrimination task, indicating that tree shrews have the potential to replace primates for research. At the same time, tree shrews also have a shorter breeding cycle and lower feeding costs than monkeys. Tree shrews have greater advantages in being used as experimental materials. Therefore, the performance of tree shrews in animal experiments needs to be studied in depth to ensure the smooth output and reliability of experimental results.

[0003] Tree shrews are very sensitive to external stimuli and have strong stress reactions. This means that in various behavioral experiments, tree shrews will freeze in place due to stress or external noises, and cannot successfully complete the behavioral experiments set by the experimenter. At the same time, due to the small size, high activity, fast metabolism and large individual differences of tree shrews, the existing mature animal food restriction methods are not applicable to tree shrews, and cannot effectively mobilize the intrinsic driving force in tree shrew behavioral experiments, which brings great difficulties to the experimental research of tree shrew behavior. Summary of the invention

[0004] To solve the problems described in the background technology, the present invention provides an experimental method for improving the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavioral experiments based on the characteristics of tree shrews and the demand for intrinsic driving force in behavioral experiments. The method established by the present invention can effectively regulate the food restriction of tree shrews, effectively mobilize the intrinsic driving force of tree shrews in experiments, and improve the completion of tree shrews in behavioral experiments.

[0005] The present invention discloses a test method for improving the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments, comprising the following steps:

[0006] S1: Preparation before the food restriction experiment;

[0007] S2: food restriction experiment;

[0008] S3: Assess behavioral performance after food restriction.

[0009] Furthermore, the specific steps of the preparation work before the food restriction experiment in step S1 are as follows:

[0010] S101) Selection of experimental tree shrews:

[0011] 20 experimental tree shrews were selected, and their mental state, health state, physiological state, eating and defecation conditions were examined and recorded. Tree shrews with a depressed mental state, unformed stool, and eating less or almost no food were eliminated, and finally 16 tree shrews were selected;

[0012] S102) Calculate the total food intake of experimental tree shrews

[0013] The 16 selected tree shrews were weighed, and the total food intake of the tree shrews was calculated according to the formula: total food weight = tree shrew weight ÷ 10.

[0014] Furthermore, the specific steps of the food restriction experiment in step S2 are as follows:

[0015] S201) Tree shrews were kept in individual cages during the food restriction period, with free access to water; they were given nutritionally balanced pelleted feed during feeding, and were given easy-to-chew, dry soft food during behavioral experiments;

[0016] S202) During the food restriction period, the tree shrew is initially given the amount of whole food calculated according to the formula in S102. In principle, the amount of whole food on the second day during the food restriction period is the amount of whole food on the previous day minus 2g. The food intake and food residue of the tree shrew are weighed every day to further determine the actual amount of whole food consumed by the tree shrew. The actual amount of whole food consumed can be added or subtracted from the calculated amount of whole food according to actual conditions; until the behavioral indicators improve, the minimum food limit cannot be less than half the food;

[0017] S203) During the food restriction experiment, the food intake, defecation and mental state of the tree shrews were observed and recorded every day, and the tree shrews were weighed and recorded every day to ensure that the weight of the tree shrews was not less than 70% of the initial weight. The weighing was performed before the behavioral experiment.

[0018] Furthermore, during the food restriction period in step S202, if the tree shrew has a surplus of the calculated total food for several consecutive days, the food should be reduced accordingly; if diarrhea occurs, norfloxacin should be administered in time, and if the mental state deteriorates, food should be increased in time.

[0019] Furthermore, if the food restriction period of the tree shrew is prolonged in step S202, the tree shrew will suffer from hunger-induced diarrhea. In this case, norfloxacin and oxytetracycline should be administered alternately accordingly, and after the intrinsic driving force is achieved, food should be appropriately added.

[0020] Furthermore, step S3 evaluates the behavioral performance after food restriction as follows:

[0021] S301) Observe the tree shrews' motivation to explore food in behavioral experiments: If the tree shrews show signs of nervousness, immobility, rolling and jumping, or exploring with the help of a wall, it indicates that their intrinsic motivation is insufficient and further food restriction is required;

[0022] S302) When the tree shrew reaches the behavioral standard index, the food reduction can be stopped;

[0023] Furthermore, on the day when the tree shrews reach the behavioral standard index in the behavioral performance after food restriction evaluation in S3, they are rewarded with marshmallows or the like.

[0024] The present invention is based on the actual physiological and activity characteristics of tree shrews, combined with the completion standard indicators of behavioral experiments, and personalized and controlled dynamic food restriction is carried out for each tree shrew. Its beneficial effect is that the internal driving force is fully mobilized in the behavioral experiment of tree shrews, while ensuring the normal feeding of tree shrews. At the same time, the food restriction test method of the present invention is not only easy to operate, but also can fine-tune the food restriction scheme according to different tree shrews.

[0025] The present invention can make food restriction adjustments accordingly according to various problems that may arise as the behavioral experiment period is prolonged, and can further ensure the requirements of the tree shrew behavioral experiment in terms of completion quality and time period. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 It is a comparative bar graph of the proportion of tree shrews whose behavioral performance reaches the standard index and the mortality rate before and after the method of the present invention is established. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will describe the implementation methods of the present invention in detail in conjunction with specific embodiments, so that the implementation process of how the present invention applies technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects can be fully understood and implemented accordingly.

[0029] The present invention provides an experimental method for enhancing the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments, comprising the following steps:

[0030] S1: Preparation before the food restriction experiment;

[0031] S101: Selecting experimental tree shrews

[0032] 20 experimental tree shrews were selected, and their mental state, health state, physiological state, eating and defecation conditions were examined and recorded. Tree shrews with a depressed mental state, unformed stool, and eating less or almost no food were eliminated, and finally 16 tree shrews were selected;

[0033] S102: Calculate the total amount of food for experimental tree shrews

[0034] The 16 selected tree shrews were weighed, and the total food of the tree shrews was calculated according to the formula: total food weight = tree shrew weight ÷ 10. If the weight of an adult tree shrew is 160g, the total food calculated is 16g.

[0035] S2: food restriction experiment;

[0036] S201: Tree shrews were kept in individual cages during the food restriction period, with free access to water, and were given nutritionally balanced granular dog food during feeding and easy-to-chew dry soft food during behavioral experiments;

[0037] S202: At the beginning of the food restriction experiment, the tree shrews are given the amount of whole food calculated according to the formula in step S102. In principle, during the food restriction period, the amount of whole food on the second day is the amount of whole food on the previous day minus 2g. The tree shrews' food intake and food residue are weighed and recorded every day to further determine the actual amount of whole food eaten by the tree shrews. The actual amount of whole food eaten is added or subtracted from the calculated amount of whole food until the behavioral performance improves. The minimum food limit cannot be less than half of the whole food amount.

[0038] The specific rule for adding or subtracting the amount of whole food is that if the tree shrew has a surplus of the calculated whole food for several consecutive days, the food should be reduced accordingly, and the normal daily food intake should be further judged to determine the whole food for restricted feeding; if the tree shrew loses weight too quickly for several consecutive days after food restriction, timely attention should be paid and additional food should be given.

[0039] S203: The food intake, defecation and mental state of the tree shrews were observed and recorded every day. The tree shrews were weighed daily during the food restriction experiment to ensure that their weight was not less than 70% of their initial weight. The weighing was performed before the behavioral experiment.

[0040] When the experimental tree shrew develops diarrhea, norfloxacin should be administered. If its mental state deteriorates, appropriate food should be added. In this case, if the tree shrew is motionless, the behavioral experiment for that day should be stopped and appropriate food should be added. If it is weak but still maintains the intrinsic driving force of the behavioral experiment to explore food, it should continue to be observed in the behavioral experiment. As the tree shrew eats during the experiment, it will often recover its strength, and appropriate food can be added after the experiment.

[0041] S3: Behavioral performance after food restriction is assessed as follows:

[0042] S301: Observe the tree shrews' motivation to explore food in behavioral experiments: If the tree shrews show signs of nervousness, immobility, rolling and jumping, or exploring with the help of a wall, it indicates that their intrinsic motivation is insufficient and further food restriction is needed;

[0043] S302: When the tree shrew reaches the behavioral standard indicators, the food reduction can be stopped;

[0044] On the day when the tree shrews reach the behavioral standard indicators, they will be rewarded with marshmallows, etc.

[0045] If the behavioral indicators remain relatively stable over a period of time, you can add 1-2g of food to the current level.

[0046] If the tree shrews are restricted from eating for a long time, they will develop hunger-induced diarrhea. At this time, it is necessary to administer norfloxacin and oxytetracycline alternately, and add food appropriately after achieving the intrinsic driving force of the behavioral experiment. If the intrinsic driving force of the behavior decreases after adding food, you can feed them some apples to increase their sense of fullness without adding food, but do not make them feel full.

[0047] The differences between this test method and the intrinsic driving force test method of rat behavior test are as follows:

[0048] Compared with tree shrews, rats are larger in size, have more subcutaneous fat, and are far less active than tree shrews. Therefore, their metabolic rate is relatively low, and they are more resistant to hunger during food restriction. Their performance after food restriction is also more stable, and they are less likely to become weak or have hunger-related diarrhea. Compared with tree shrews, rats have more developed teeth and chewing power, while tree shrews have relatively weak bite force, so it is necessary to distinguish between food restriction and behavioral reward foods based on this. In addition, rats are less likely to jump or be startled in behavioral experiments and are more controllable. Therefore, although they are both small animals, the method of implementing the intrinsic driving force of behavioral experiments on tree shrews should be more rigorous in order to achieve the desired effect.

[0049] Through this experimental method, the following experimental results were obtained:

[0050] 1) If Figure 1 As shown, after the present invention takes into account the individuality of tree shrews and mobilizes the intrinsic driving force of behavioral experiments, the behavioral performance of 87.5% of the tested tree shrews meets the standard indicators, and the mortality rate of tree shrews is 0.

Claims

1. An experimental method for enhancing the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments, comprising the following steps: S1: Preparation before the food restriction experiment S101) Selecting experimental tree shrews Check the experimental tree shrews and record their mental state, health state, physiological state, eating and defecation conditions, eliminate tree shrews with a depressed mental state, loose stools, eating less or almost no food, and finally select the formal experimental tree shrews; S102) Calculate the total food intake of experimental tree shrews Weigh the selected experimental tree shrews, and calculate the total food amount of the tree shrews according to the formula: total food weight = tree shrew weight ÷ 10; S2: Food restriction experiment S201) Tree shrews were kept in individual cages during the food restriction period, with free access to water; they were given nutritionally balanced pelleted feed during feeding, and were given easy-to-chew, dry soft food during behavioral experiments; S202) During the food restriction period, the tree shrew is initially given the amount of whole food calculated according to the formula in S102, and then the amount of whole food on the second day is the amount of whole food on the previous day minus 2g, and the food intake and food residue of the tree shrew are weighed every day to further determine the actual amount of whole food consumed by the tree shrew. The actual amount of whole food consumed can be added or subtracted from the calculated amount of whole food according to actual conditions until the behavioral indicators improve, and the minimum food restriction cannot be less than half the food; S203) During the food restriction experiment, the food intake, defecation and mental state of the tree shrews were observed and recorded every day, and the tree shrews were weighed and recorded every day to ensure that the weight of the tree shrews was not less than 70% of the initial weight. The weighing was performed before the behavioral experiment; S3: Evaluate behavioral performance after food restriction; S301) Observe the tree shrews' motivation to explore food in behavioral experiments: If the tree shrews show signs of nervousness, immobility, rolling and jumping, or exploring with the help of a wall, it indicates that their intrinsic motivation is insufficient and further food restriction is required; S302) When the tree shrew reaches the behavioral standard index, the food reduction can be stopped.

2. According to the test method for enhancing the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments according to claim 1, if the tree shrew has a surplus of the calculated total food for several consecutive days during the food restriction period in step S202, the food is reduced accordingly; if diarrhea occurs, norfloxacin should be administered in time, and if the mental state deteriorates, food should be added in time.

3. According to the test method for enhancing the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments as described in claim 1, if the tree shrew is restricted from food for a long time in step S202, the tree shrew will have hunger diarrhea. At this time, norfloxacin and oxytetracycline should be administered alternately accordingly, and after the intrinsic driving force is achieved, food should be appropriately added.

4. The method for enhancing the intrinsic driving force of tree shrew behavior experiments according to claim 1, wherein on the day when the tree shrew reaches the behavioral standard index in the behavioral performance after food restriction evaluation in S3, marshmallows or the like are given as rewards.

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