Note: Mice were housed in a non-barrier facility during the acclimation and testing periods. Three pathogens were detected during this time: Pneumocystis, Pasturella, and Helicobacter. Pathogen-accelerated atherosclerosis was observed in these studies. These results are in contrast to a similar study conducted in a pathogen-free facility (Paigen2).

Vendor: Mice obtained from The Jackson Laboratory.

Shipment age: Mice shipped 6-11 weeks of age (some mice of the following strains shipped at 4 and 5 weeks of age: BPL/1J, CAST/EiJ, DBA/2J, NZB/BlNJ, RF/J, and SEA/GnJ).

Shipment dates: Mice shipped from 8/1999 to 3/2000.

Health status report: The Jackson Laboratory Diagnostics Laboratory routinely monitors and documents animal health status using statistically valid sampling procedures and standard protocols. (Note that these tests were not performed on the mice used in this study but rather on mice that were housed in the same facility as the ones used in this study.)

See JAX®Mice Quality Control Programs or the JAX®Mice Catalog for the list of agents monitored.

Mice from production facility rooms represented in this study were negative for all agents tested, with the following exceptions (number positive mice/total tested indicated in parenthesis): CAST/EiJ, NZW/LacJ, Sea/GnJ were housed with mice that tested positive for Pasteurella pneumotropica (17/30) and trichomonads (12/29); 129S3/SvImJ were housed with mice that tested positive for Klebsiella oxytoca (1/15).

The following strains were maintained in research facility rooms (non-SPF) at The Jackson Laboratory and were housed with mice that tested positive for the indicated agents: CZECHII/EiJ, PERA/EiJ and WSB/EiJ (9/24 Pasteurella pneumotropica and 2/24 trichomonads; MOLF/EiJ and SPRET/EiJ (8/15 Pasteurella pneumotropica; 9/15 Helicobacter species).

Detailed health status reports for each animal room represented from this project are on file.

Environment before shipping:

Feed: Most strains maintained on a 6% fat diet (NIH 31M) except WSB/EiJ which alternated weekly between the 4% (NIH 31) and 11% (LabDiet 5015) fat formulations.

Water: Adjusted with hydrochloric acid to pH 2.8-3.1 and supplemented with menadione sodium bisulfite (final concentration 0.4 mg/ml) to compensate for potential decrease in vitamin K activity upon autoclaving; water supplied in pinhole type bottles (Thoren Caging Systems, Inc. Hazelton, PA).

Housing: Thoren cages; Thoren Maxi Miser #3 cages used for some strains as part of a PIV (pressurized individually ventilated) system.

Bedding: Steam autoclaved white pine shavings.

Photoperiod: 14 hours on (generally covering the hours of 4:30 AM to 6:30 PM) 10 hours off.

Temperature: 18 - 24 °C

Relative humidity: ~50%.

Duration: 10-14 days (in non-SPF research facility room at The Jackson Laboratory).

Feed: 18% protein/4% fat diet (NIH 31) until they went on the high fat diet.

Water: Adjusted with hydrochloric acid to pH 3.0; supplemented with vitamin K.

Housing: Thoren Duplex cages (no more than 10 mice / 51.7 sq. in. floor space).

Bedding: same as vendor (above).

Photoperiod: 14 hours on (on 7 am to 9 pm) 10 hours off.

Temperature: 24 - 25 °C

Relative humidity: 47-49%

Health status report: Pathogens present in non-barrier facility: Pneumocystis, Pasturella, Helicobacter. Mice appeared healthy during acclimation period.

Total duration: Aug 1999 through Jun 2000. Notes: Mice were subjected to a lithogenic diet for 8 weeks prior to testing (see protocol); all were sacrificed between 28-Sep-99 and 23-Dec-99 with the exception of mice with id numbers containing 'R' which were sacrificed from Mar 2000 to Jun 2000.

Environment: same as acclimation period except for diet (described in protocol).

Health status report: Pathogens present in non-barrier facility: Pneumocystis, Pasturella, Helicobacter. Mice appeared generally healthy during testing period, with the notable exception of FVB/NJ which did not tolerate the diet well and demonstrated a very high level of mortality.