Estructuración de una colonia de ratones BALB/c en la Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia de la Fundación Jacinto Convit – Venezuela

M. A. Duarte; E. Navarro; J. Carballo; E. Negrón; I. Blanca; R. De Jesús; T. Rivodó; D. Aranguren; A. F. Convit

doi:10.30972/vet.3617988

Authors

M. A. Duarte Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8083-8783
E. Navarro Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5069-7887
J. Carballo Jacinto Convit World Organization https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9370-686X
E. Negrón Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2842-5248
I. Blanca Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4441-1488
R. De Jesús Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9670-291X
T. Rivodó Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0553-8534
D. Aranguren Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0692-8240
A. F. Convit Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia. Fundación Jacinto Convit. Jacinto Convit World Organization https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1596-1675

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30972/vet.3617988

Keywords:

mice colony, strain purity, microsatellite analysis, homozygosity, mixed animal facility

Abstract

Animal models are a fundamental part of preclinical scientific research in the development of new therapies including drugs and gene therapies. For such purposes, it is crucial to have an animal model that is appropriate for specific study. At the animal facility of the Unidad Experimental de Inmunoterapia (UEI) of Fundación Jacinto Convit (FJC), a colony of BALB/c mice was established to maintain a pure strain for experimental research projects in breast cancer, using the 4T1 autologous tumor cell line. The colony was established from two pairs of BALB/c mice provided by Universidad Simón Bolívar, ensuring strict housing conditions in micro-isolators, with appropriate feeding, environmental enrichment, and detailed control of both micro and macroenvironment parameters required for the species. Animals care was managed by a specialized biologist. The expansion of this BALB/c mouse strain was monitored following a pattern of inbred crosses every third litter. Homozygosity was determined by using skin grafting technique among individuals of the same strain and comparative microsatellite analysis. Data from 135 births were analyzed, with a maximum of 6 births per breeding box. Monogamous pairs produced an average of 6.25 ± 2.38 pups per litter, with no unexpected deaths, and an interbirth interval of 27 ± 7.5 days. The overall results obtained in this work demonstrated that the breeding, care, and maintenance protocol of the BALB/c mouse colony at the UEI animal facility of FJC is effective in ensuring the expansion and genetic purity of this strain, hereafter referred to as BALB/c//USB//FJC.

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