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RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:47:36 GMT

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/07/can-a-stimulating-life-ward-off-.html

Can a Stimulating Life Ward Off Cancer?
By: Jocelyn Kaiser

A provocative new study suggests that mice raised in spacious cages with lots of toys and companions are more resistant to cancer than mice living in standard cages. The work, which finds that exercise alone doesn't explain the anticancer effect, is drawing both excitement and skepticism.

The study builds on research dating back to the 1960s, which has found that raising mice in an "enriched environment" spurs neural growth and learning. Recent research even suggests that a stimulating cage environment late in life can help restore memory in animals with neurodegenerative disease. Neuroscientists Matthew During and Lei Cao, both of Ohio State University and Cornell University, wondered whether these profound effects on the brain could influence how the body responds to cancer.

During's team studied the course of cancer in two sets of young male mice—groups of five animals housed in a standard cage (roughly the size of a bread box) with food but nothing else, and groups of 18 to 20 mice raised in a bigger cage (about the size of a portable crib) with food, toys, a maze, running wheels, and places to hide. After the mice spent 3 to 6 weeks in their cages, the researchers injected them under the skin with melanoma cancer cells and waited for tumors to develop.

The results were a surprise, During says. Mice that spent 3 weeks in the enriched cage developed tumors that were 43% smaller in volume than those raised in normal cages. The difference in tumor mass was 77% when the mice spent 6 weeks in the special cages. And unlike mice raised in standard cages, a few of those in the enriched cages developed no tumors at all. The researchers saw similar results for two types of mice prone to colon cancer.

Exercise alone didn't explain the effect. Mice raised in a typical cage connected to a running wheel developed tumors just as massive as those that did no cardio.

The anticancer effects seem related to metabolic changes, During says. Mice raised in the enriched environment had much lower blood levels of leptin, a hormone linked to obesity and cancer; they also had higher levels of corticosterone, a stress hormone. In addition, the hypothalamuses of the enhanced cage mice had higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor that the researchers suggest sends signals to fat cells to produce less leptin. When the team turned BDNF off or ramped it up in the brains of the mice, they saw corresponding changes in leptin levels and in tumor size, they report in tomorrow's issue of Cell.

During speculates that the mice in the enhanced cages have "some degree of anxiety" because of living in a larger space and having more fellow mice to deal with. "It's mild stress. It's challenging the system." The mild stress signals the brain to produce more BDNF and make less cancer-promoting leptin, he suggests.

During says the results suggest that a stress-free life may be less healthy than one with slight stress. "Living a couch potato existence is not the best," During says.

Some researchers are viewing the study with caution. For one, it contradicts a large body of evidence that exercise protects against cancer, says neuroscientist Henriette Van Praag of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland. She says one problem with the paper is that the "runner" mice in standard cages weren't given a chance to run individually; in a group, some males may hog the running wheel. "The concept is good, but I don't think they can say conclusively that exercise is not an important factor," Van Praag says.

Physiologist John Hall of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson calls the paper "an exciting new idea," but points to another reason to question whether the results will apply to people: Beta blockers, which are drugs that block BDNF, have been in widespread use for heart disease since the 1960s, yet there's "no evidence that they promote tumor growth," he says.

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:40:53 GMT

Welcome to the community! I look forward to pictures of your cage

as for the whole social thing, you're right it is "partly" true, but how I view it is that a lone rat is so very desperate for attention that once another rat is finally introduced, the once lone rat who was once so desperate for attention, is now content and doesn't have to beg for as much attention from their human as it once did (that was a very long sentence -_-).
I personally find it selfish to purposely keep a rat by itself for the very fact that it will all out rely on you for all its attention and other needs. I mean, a human can not completely understand a rat and a rat can never fully understand a human. A rat is always up during the night, and a lone rat is forced to find something, anything to try an entertain itself while its human sleeps. And then while its human is gone at school or work, they are forced to sleep their day by themselves rather then snuggled up with a ratty pal.

lol, this is just my strong point of view on the subject. Hope you don't feel like I am attacking you, just bringing into further discussion about lone rats. >.<

RE: No place like home

.Rat.Lover. — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:15:49 GMT

Hey! I have 2 pet rats that I recently (last week) built a cage for! I have had many rats in the past and I have read that rats usually get more anti-social towards humans if kept together constatly (and my personal opinion is that this is semi-true) so I built a cage out of an old dresser that is over 3 ft tall and I put like chicken wire down the middle so they can still interact without being able to get into fights. They love it! I will be getting a picture of it this weekend (I cant wait to show it off! ) It took a lot of work (and slamming my finger with a hammer a couple of times ) but its worth it to see their curiousity go wild as they explore their new environment!

I must say, all of the cages here are incredibly immpresive! I hope one day mine will be as extravigent as all of yours!

RE: No place like home

Sporelett — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:07:44 GMT

Thanks so much! I found your information to be very helpful and interesting.

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:18:43 GMT

Hi Sporelett

Sorry for not replying right away, I do not frequent this forum very often (I'm mostly on goosemoose.com ) , anyhow I think I may have replied to a post you made but if not you can find my cleaning information in the link below.

http://www.freewebs.com/dreamchaser023/index.htm

Good luck!

*edit* Oh! the cage is a Ferret Nation 142. The bar spacing is one inch so small females and babies can squeeze through. Male rats about 6 months and older usually can not fit through th bars. However, just recently th company who maks the Ferret Nation created a Critter Nation! \^o^/

Both cages can be found on Ferret.com If you want the ferret nation 142, you can actually print out Ferret.com price and take it into Petsmart and they will price match it. But make sure to talk to a Petsmart Manager, because they are the only ones allowed to approve the price match.

If this cage is to much or not what you really want, then you can find more cage options in the link I gave you.

Good luck again. Oh! And welcome to the Forums!

RE: No place like home

Sporelett — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:41:53 GMT

Oh, and how far apart are the bars? It might not be the cage I saw after all, since I'm pretty sure it's bars were too widely spaced for rats.

RE: No place like home

Sporelett — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:37:07 GMT

I have a question, Yukari Angel. Well, a few, actually.

How often do you clean your cage? What are you covering the floor with? Towels? Blankets? Doesn't the cage get messy quickly without bedding to absorb the odor?

I'd like to know because your setup seems really interesting. I've seen that cage before and I really like it, but of course if there was bedding in it it would all fall out...

RE: No place like home

goerndta — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:14:27 GMT

I'm always happy to share the knowledge I've gained in researching rat and mouse behavior. It sounds like you love your rats very much and it looks like they are well cared for. I think I will try the treasure chest with treats as you mentioned in your last email. It sounds like it would be beneficial in exercising my rats' brain activity by giving them a puzzle to solve with a yummy reward.

Take care!

Angela ~">

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:14:48 GMT

I will admit that the stuffed animal hanging are unnecessary but they love to tare them apart and use the fluff as bedding (and I never by a plushy for them that is over $3 because I know it will just end up destroyed. They usually are clearance items when I get them XD )

But the other hanging toys are either chewable or require them to figure something out for a treat. If you're interested the "Barrels of Fun" bird toy (the green barrel looking one) requires the rats to figure out how to open it to get a treat thats inside. The other one (which can be seen in the last picture with Tex already working at it) is a little treasure chest that requires the rats to lift and turn side ways so that a treat falls out (or they can grab a treat with their paw if the hole is big enough, but I don't think they have figured that out yet). I always put that one yellow and pink ball in there as I can but treats (Like yogies) inside it and they have to roll the ball around to get the treat. (but I do not always do this because Yogies can be a litte high in sugar, so I do it this in moderation). Most the things in their cage are the same things just moved around (while boxes are tossed when beyond peed on XD ). If there is any stress at all in my girls I am sure it isn't harming them and for the most part the out come is beneficial rather than detrimental to their health, as their environment is kept clean and somewhat new (=environmental enrichment).

Thank you for sharing your information. I am always curious to know what other people think.

RE: No place like home

goerndta — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:35:09 GMT

It's alright you disagree with me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I do agree with you that enrichment is necessary to keep your rats happy and healthy. But research has shown that environmental enrichments need to be beneficial. Not just any toy can be put in a cage and be called enrichment. To be perfectly honest, research has shown that rats are most happy in a cage filled with dirt or some other burrowing substance. I'm sure your rats love their fleece, mine do too, because they can nest in it. A great nesting material and being able to burrow is all the enrichment a rat needs to be perfectly happy. Adding several toys and other items is just money being wasted on our own personal entertainment. My rats are happy and healthy in their aquarium. They have a deep layer of bedding to burrow in, fleece to nest in, and I clean it frequently to prevent the build up of ammonia. I take them out of their cage daily so they have ample space to run around and climb on things. To each their own. By all means, I'm not telling you how to house your rats or not to buy toys for them if that's what you want to do and it makes you happy. I'm just saying not all enrichment is beneficial and most of the toys marketed out there for pets is targeted towards us humans.

Have fun with your rats! Be happy!

Angela ~">

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:31:01 GMT

Here is a video by NOVA on how environmental enrichment is a good thing
--> http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/02.html

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:24:08 GMT

Angela: I am afraid I do disagree with you because I have never seen any stressful behavior in my rats after cleaning their cage and I know what a stressed out rat looks like as my little girl, Charlotte used to be a very nervous and stressed out rat. She now shows no sign of being stressed, even after the cage is clean, and neither do any of my other girls. They run about that cage happily exploring their new set up along with finding treats that I've hidden.

:3

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:50:09 GMT

I guess I'll be investing in one soon

RE: No place like home

Hotaru — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:34:53 GMT

The yellow thing-y? They love it. <3 They like it much better than any hammock I've gotten them. They seem to like to be enclosed.

RE: No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:33:03 GMT

Hotaru you have a nice set up! I have always thought about buying one of those bird things, but never got around to it. How does your girls like it?

RE: No place like home

Hotaru — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:12:36 GMT

So, this is only one of my cages. It's a rat manor that I keep three little girls in. It's plenty big for them right now, but, I'm going to upgrade when they get bigger, hopefully splurge on a FN, or possibly the Critter Nation they've had in development for a while now, when I get a look at it.

That's when I first got that cage, so, fortunately, all the wire floors are covered with felt now. No twisted, caught feet!

I also have a frankencage, that I connected two super pet cages together to make a bigger version. That one's got my three bigger girls in it. If I had my camera, I'd snap a picture.

RE: No place like home

goerndta — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:57:34 GMT

I'm not trying to be rude or mean, I think you have a pretty cool set up for your rats, but the more toys and "stuff" you have in your cage the more distressing it is to your rats. I agree that rats need adequate space to run around and things to climb on. I've spent 4 years working with and researching mouse and rat behavior. It's my career. Rats use scent to mark their territory and leave messages for other rats. When we clean their cages, which does need to be done frequently, we screw up their territorial boundaries and erase their scent messages. It's kind of like someone coming into your home and tearing up your love letters, deleting your email, and moving your furniture around. It may seem like the rats enjoy their clean cages and new toys, but they're really freaking out trying to put things back in order and reestablish boundaries. Having more stuff in the cage is more of an enrichment for us than the rats. I'm not saying your cage has to be bare of enrichment, but sometimes less is more. If you disagree with me, that's fine. I'm not trying to make you mad. I'm sure you love your rats as much as I love mine. I just wanted to give you a little insight to your rats' behavior. Check out this website for more info. http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news.asp?id=395 and read under the heading Refinement through beneficial enrichment.

Have fun with your girls!

Angela ~">

No place like home

Yukari_Angel — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:11:21 GMT

Anyone else here have fun decorating the rats' cage? Decorating is one of my favorite parts of cleaning day, right after watching the ratties enjoying their clean enclosure (and of course cleaning is my least favorite part of cleaning day?) How do you decorate your rats' cage? Post pictures and show off your decorative skills and your ratties' appreciation.

And to get this topic started, here is my girls cage: It is a Ferret Nation 142 and is the absolute most easiest cage to clean in the world! I currently have four girls living in this cage but this cage is big enough for 10 rats.

Can't wait to see everyone else's cages and ratties :3