Barbiturate sleeptime in mice exposed to autoclaved or unautoclaved wood beddings
Cunliffe-Beamer, T.L.; Freeman, L.C.; Myers, D.D.
Laboratory Animal Science 31(6): 672-675
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-6764 PMID: 7343764 Document Number: 170512
Effect of unautoclaved or autoclaved contact bedding materials (mixed hardwood, white spruce, white pine and red cedar shavings) on pentobarbital sleeptime and liver:body weight ratios was assayed in young DBA/2J and C57Bl/6J male mice [Mus sp.]. Analysis of variance indicated that autoclaving the bedding did not alter parameters in either strain. Within strains, data were pooled and analyzed for bedding effects. Sleeptimes of DBA/2J male mice on mixed hardwood or white spruce bedding were not significantly different but were significantly longer than sleeptimes of mice on white pine or red cedar bedding. Sleeptimes of DBA/2J mice on white pine were significantly longer than mice on red cedar. Sleeptimes of C57BL/6J male mice on each bedding were significantly different with the following rank order: mixed hardwood > white spruce > white pine> red cedar. In both strains, liver:body weight ratios of mice on red cedar bedding were significantly increased compared to mice on white pine, white spruce or mixed hardwood beddings. Autoclaving these beddings did not alter pentobarbital sleeptimes or liver:body weight ratios and softwood beddings differed in their abilities to alter pentobarbital sleeptimes.