Description

Information

Broome Rodent Restrainer is one of the most convenient types of restrainer when the ease of the experiment is in question; the experimenter can use both his/her hand when injecting the caudal vein. Our Broome restrainer is made up of the finest quality acrylic and comes in a variety of sizes. Choosing the right size of the restraint is vital; if the restraint is too large the animal can easily turn around, and if the restraint is too small the animal might not be able to breathe properly.

Broome rodent restrainer is a cylindrical device that is closed on one end. An open groove extends from the opening to the center of the endplate for the adjustment of the nosepiece. On the adjacent side of the open groove, a slit that runs the entire length of the tube aids to get access to the rodent’s tail.

Specifications

Documentation

Proper handling and management of experimental animals is an important aspect of various research procedures. Minimal handling, such as cage changing and other noninvasive procedures have been found to cause physiological manifestations of stress in rodents, including elevated heart rate and blood pressure levels (“Rodent Handling and Restraint Techniques,” 2017). Given that prolonged effects of stress can influence research outcomes, it is imperative that researchers are equipped with the right knowledge, training, and tools for proper animal handling and restraint methods.

The Broome restrainer is one of many types of restraint devices that provide a tightly enclosed fit around the rodent, designed to give access to the tail for intravenous injections. The Broome handler is a cylindrical device that is closed on one end, with an open groove extending from the open end to the center of the end plate for the adjustment of the nosepiece. A slit runs the entire length of the tube, serving to accommodate the rodent’s tail. Injecting the rodent through the caudal vein usually requires more than one pair of hands to hold the animal down and to secure the area for injection, but the Broome restrainer successfully addresses this commonly-faced difficulty through its novel design. The restraint devices such as the Broome handler are useful for injections and blood sample collection.

Apparatus and Equipment

The Broome restrainer is a cylindrical, close-fitting restraint device made from fine quality acrylic that comes in different sizes to accommodate different rodent types. The device is transparent and closed on one end, with a slit running the entire length of the tube, giving access to the rodent’s tail. An open groove on the cylinder extends from the opening to the center of the end plate, to fix the adjustable nose piece in place.

Choosing the right size of the restraint is vital; if the restraint is too large the animal can easily turn around, and if the restraint is too small the animal might not be able to breathe properly.

Protocol

In the usage of Broome restrainer, it is important to prepare the correctly-sized device for each rodent. An appropriate fit would prevent the animal from fidgeting easily or turning around but is loose enough to allow the animal to breathe properly.

First, the nosepiece should be removed from the body of the Broome style restrainer by loosening the screw. The restrainer should be positioned so that the slit running the entire length of the tube is facing up. The rodent, held at the base of its tail, is gently introduced into the restraint device, hind limbs first. It would be convenient to place the animal and the device on a smooth surface to expedite the animal’s placement into the Broome handler. Once the subject is introduced securely, the nosepiece should be replaced into the groove and tightened so that the open end is sealed. Ideally, the nose of the subjected should be projected at the center of the nosepiece. To avoid suffocation, the nosepiece should not be over-tightened. For injections or blood sample collection, the rodent’s tail must be submerged in warm water for vasodilation.

Applications

The use of right techniques in the proper handling of mice and rats is a necessity to minimize the effects of stress and discomfort on research outcomes such as fluctuations in physiological parameters. Rigid restraint devices are practical tools that make animal handling easier, safer, and more trouble-free. The Broome style handler, in particular, is designed to provide convenient access to the rodent’s tail for intravenous injections as well as blood sample collection. Modified Broome handlers have found many applications, such as in the monitoring of fetal breathing movements through abdominal ultrasound measurements in rats (Kobayashi et al., 2001), development of rodent models for intraocular pressure fluctuations in patients with glaucoma (Joos et al., 2010), injections through the lateral tail vein (Dorsey et al., 2009), and the regulation of restraint stress (Seifi et al., 2014; Jamieson et al., 2016).

Strengths and Limitations

• The Broome restrainer is one of many types of restraint devices that provide a tightly enclosed fit around the rodent, designed to give access to the tail for intravenous injections
• The Broome restrainer is a cylindrical, close-fitting restraint device made from fine quality acrylic that comes in different sizes to accommodate different rodent types
• The device is closed on one end, with an open groove extending from the open end to the center of the end plate for the adjustment of the nosepiece, and a slit runs the entire length of the tube, serving to accommodate the rodent’s tail
• Restraint devices such as the Broome restrainer are useful for injections and blood sample collection
• Choosing the right size of the restraint is vital; if the restraint is too large the animal can easily turn around, and if the restraint is too small the animal might not be able to breathe properly

References

Karen M. Joos, Chun Li, Rebecca M. Sappington. (2010). Morphometric Changes in the Rat Optic Nerve Following Short-term Intermittent Elevations in Intraocular Pressure. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol.51, 6431-6440

Kay Stewart, Valerie A. Schroeder. University of Notre Dame. (2017). Rodent Handling and Restraint Techniques. Retrieved from https://www.jove.com/science-education/10221/rodent-handling-and-restraint-techniques

Koichi Kobayashi, Robert P. Lemke, John J. Greer. (2001). Ultrasound measurements of fetal breathing movements in the rat. Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 91 no. 1, 316-320

Mohsen Seifi, James F. Brown, Jeremy Mills, Pradeep Bhandari, Delia Belelli, Jeremy J. Lambert, Uwe Rudolph and Jerome D. Swinny. (2014). Molecular and Functional Diversity of GABA-A Receptors in the Enteric Nervous System of the Mouse Colon. Journal of Neuroscience, 34 (31) 10361-10378

Pauline M. Jamieson, Chien Li, Christina Kukura, Joan Vaughan, Wylie Vale. (2016). Urocortin 3 Modulates the Neuroendocrine Stress Response and Is Regulated in Rat Amygdala and Hypothalamus by Stress and Glucocorticoids. Endocrinology, 147 (10): 4578-4588

Susan G. Dorsey, Carmen C. Leitch, Cynthia L. Renn, Sherrie Lessans, Barbara A. Smith, Xiao M. Wang, Raymond A. Dionne. (2009). Genome-Wide Screen Identifies Drug-Induced Regulation of the Gene Giant Axonal Neuropathy (Gan) in a Mouse Model of Antiretroviral-Induced Painful Peripheral Neuropathy. Biol Res Nurs, 11(1): 7–16.

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