HUSBANDRY FACTORS AND THE PREVALENCE OF AGE-RELATED AMYLOIDOSIS IN MICE

A retrospective study of the prevalence of amyloidosis in mice from se veral facilities was done. Amyloid deposition is an age-related lesion . The influence of common laboratory factors on the occurrence of this lesion was analyzed. This study documented genotypic difference in su sceptibility to amyloidosis and showed that caging and pathogen status both impact on the number of cases of amyloidosis seen in a populatio n. The lowest percentage of affected mice was seen when the animals we re individually caged in a specific pathogen-free facility where condi tions of stress were minimized.