Stress in Laboratory Juvenile Rabbits: Physiological Indicators

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of stress on the main physiologic indicators: body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, urinary cortisol and creatinine levels and fecal corticosterone in juvenile rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). One seven-week old group-reared rabbits were kept in individual isolation for 24 hours in metabolic cages. This caused the increase at the skin level of the mean body temperature measured, from 31.2°C to 31.5°C, also an increase of the mean heart rate, from 201 beats/min. to 217 beats/min. and an increase of the mean respiratory rate from 47 respirations/min. to 55 respirations/min. At the end of the individual isolation period, the average urinary cortisol/creatinine ratio was of: 9.09 x 10-6 and the average value of fecal corticosterone was 557 ng/g. Isolation of group-reared individuals, represents a stress factor that influence the welfare of animals used in scientific experiments, in this respect, fecal corticosterone and urinary cortisol measurements represent an useful non-invasive method for the stress assessment in laboratory animals used for scientific purposes