Influence of different types of bedding materials on immune response and serum biochemical profile of caged mice

Contact bedding material is an important environmental factor and welfare creator for laboratory mice. It can alter important physiological process and create potential chance for experimental variation which puts hurdle for comparability. The present experiment was conducted to assess the possible impact of different types of bedding material viz CPS, NWS and PH with fifty one albino mice for a period of fifteen weeks in Laboratory Animal Facility. It was observed that local immunity in mice was enhanced in NWS. During in vitro immune assays, mice from NWS showed higher OD value for reactive oxygen radical, produced more NO2 and higher stimulation index i.e. 0.71 ± 0.01, 30.67 ± 0.88 |jM and 7.90 ± 0.17, respectively than PH (0.23 ± 0.01, 17.0 ± 1.15 |M and 6.33 ± 0.21) and CPS (0.33 ± 0.03, 15.67 ± 1.20 |M and 6.46 ± 0.27). There was no influence of bedding type on systemic response. Reduced glutathione value in liver was higher in NWS than PH and CPS i.e. 8.54 ± 0.2, 7.09 ± 0.18 and 6.96 ± 0.14 jmole/ gm of tissue. But heart reduced glutathione showed no variation among different types of bedding materials. Serum analysis showed significantly (p<0.05) higher total protein and albumin value for enriched groups. But globulin value was not significantly differing for enriched and non-enriched groups