Meeting Abstract

P3.125  Sunday, Jan. 6  Environmental enrichment does not increase susceptibility of female mice to intestinal parasites MOHAIMANY-APONTE, A.*; KRISTAN, D.M.; California State University San Marcos; California State University San Marcos mohai001@cougars.csusm.edu

Laboratory mice (Mus musculus) are one of the most frequently used models to study physiology and oversight committees are increasingly interested in enhanced housing conditions. Environmental enrichment (i.e., the addition of “toys”, shelters, etc.) has been shown to influence physiological responses ranging from brain function to production of stress hormones. Relatively little is known about effects of environmental enrichment on immune function and results using infections with intact worms are equivocal. Our study investigated if environmental enrichment affected susceptibility of young, female mice to the intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri. Mice were weaned at 20d old and housed in groups of four in cages that were either enriched or control (only). Enriched cages contained bedding, cotton nesting material, chew toys, climbing structures, and a nesting container. Control cages contained bedding and cotton nesting material only. Preliminary data indicates no effects of environmental enrichment on mouse morphology (body mass, spleen mass, small intestine mass, and small intestine length) or on number of H. bakeri worms in the mouse small intestine. However, parasite reproduction when measured in vitro was lower for worms taken from enriched than control mice. While enriched housing did not alter the susceptibility of female mice to H. bakeri infection, an investigation of changes in host physiology during enrichment that may determine parasite reproduction would be fruitful.