Background: Improving experimental conditions in preclinical animal research is a major challenge, both scientifically and ethically. Automated digital ventilated cages (DVC®) offer the advantage of continuous monitoring of animal activity in their home-cage. The potential utility of this technology remains understudied and deserves investigation in the field of oncology. Methods: Using the DVC®platform, we sought to determine if the continuous assessment of locomotor activity of mice in their home cages can serve as useful digital readout in the monitoring of animals treated with the reference oncology compounds cisplatin and cyclophosphamide. SCID mice of 14 weeks of age were housed in DVC®cages in groups of four and followed with standard and digital examination before and after treatment over a 17-day total period. Results: DVC®detected statistically significant effects of cisplatin on the activity of mice in the short and long term, as well as trends for cyclophosphamide. The activity differences between the vehicle- and chemotherapy-treated groups were especially marked during the nighttime, a period when animals are most active and staff are generally not available for regular checks. Standard clinical parameters, such as body weight change and clinical assessment during the day, provided additional and complementary information. Conclusion: The DVC®technology enabled the home cage monitoring of mice and non-invasive detection of animal activity disturbances. It can easily be integrated into a multimodal monitoring approach to better capture the different effects of oncology drugs on anti-tumor efficacy, toxicity, and safety and improve translation to clinical studies.
背景：改善临床前动物研究的实验条件在科学和伦理上均面临重大挑战。自动化数字通风笼（DVC®）系统能够实现对动物在饲养笼内活动的持续监测。该技术在肿瘤学领域的潜在应用价值尚未得到充分研究，值得深入探索。方法：本研究利用DVC®平台，旨在评估通过持续监测小鼠在饲养笼内的运动活动，是否可作为监测顺铂和环磷酰胺这两种标准肿瘤治疗化合物疗效的有效数字化指标。实验将14周龄SCID小鼠以每组四只饲养于DVC®笼中，在为期17天的实验周期内，通过标准检测与数字化监测相结合的方式，对治疗前后的小鼠进行系统观察。结果：DVC®系统检测到顺铂对小鼠活动在短期和长期均产生统计学显著影响，环磷酰胺也呈现类似趋势。在夜间时段（动物活动最活跃而工作人员通常无法进行常规检查的时间），溶剂对照组与化疗组之间的活动差异尤为显著。标准临床参数（如体重变化和白天的临床评估）提供了补充性和互补性信息。结论：DVC®技术实现了对小鼠饲养笼内活动的监测，并能无创检测动物活动异常。该技术可轻松整合到多模式监测体系中，以更全面捕捉肿瘤药物在抗肿瘤疗效、毒性和安全性方面的不同影响，从而提升向临床研究转化的效果。
Activity in Group-Housed Home Cages of Mice as a Novel Preclinical Biomarker in Oncology Studies
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家