Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis.
The assessment of animals' health and nutritional status using a Body Condition Score (BCS) has become a common and reliable tool in lab-animal science. It enables a simple, semi-objective, and non-invasive assessment (palpation of osteal prominences and subcutaneous fat tissue) in routine exam...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280000 |
| _version_ | 1827948726075785216 |
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| author | Leonie Tix Lisa Ernst Britta Bungardt Steven R Talbot Gero Hilken René H Tolba |
| author_facet | Leonie Tix Lisa Ernst Britta Bungardt Steven R Talbot Gero Hilken René H Tolba |
| author_sort | Leonie Tix |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The assessment of animals' health and nutritional status using a Body Condition Score (BCS) has become a common and reliable tool in lab-animal science. It enables a simple, semi-objective, and non-invasive assessment (palpation of osteal prominences and subcutaneous fat tissue) in routine examination of an animal. In mammals, the BCS classification contains 5 levels: A low score describes a poor nutritional condition (BCS 1-2). A BCS of 3 to 4 is considered optimum, whereas a high score (BCS = 5) is associated with obesity. While BCS are published for most common laboratory mammals, these assessment criteria are not directly applicable to clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) due to their intracoelomic fat body instead of subcutaneous fat tissue. Therefore, this assessment tool is still missing for Xenopus laevis. The present study aimed to establish a species-specific BCS for clawed frogs in terms of housing refinement in lab-animal facilities. Accordingly, 62 adult female Xenopus laevis were weighed and sized. Further, the body contour was defined, classified, and assigned to BCS groups. A BCS 5 was associated with a mean body weight of 193.3 g (± 27.6 g), whereas a BCS 4 ranged at 163.1 g (±16.0 g). Animals with a BCS = 3 had an average body weight of 114.7 g (±16.7 g). A BCS = 2 was determined in 3 animals (103 g, 110 g, and 111 g). One animal had a BCS = 1 (83 g), equivalent to a humane endpoint. In conclusion, individual examination using the presented visual BCS provides a quick and easy assessment of the nutritional status and overall health of adult female Xenopus laevis. Due to their ectothermic nature and the associated special metabolic situation, it can be assumed that a BCS ≥3 is to be preferred for female Xenopus laevis. In addition, BCS assessment may indicate underlying subclinical health problems that require further diagnostic investigation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:58:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dd2112f4a6184975b1c2496294c4d41e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:58:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-dd2112f4a6184975b1c2496294c4d41e2023-05-13T05:31:30ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01184e028000010.1371/journal.pone.0280000Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis.Leonie TixLisa ErnstBritta BungardtSteven R TalbotGero HilkenRené H TolbaThe assessment of animals' health and nutritional status using a Body Condition Score (BCS) has become a common and reliable tool in lab-animal science. It enables a simple, semi-objective, and non-invasive assessment (palpation of osteal prominences and subcutaneous fat tissue) in routine examination of an animal. In mammals, the BCS classification contains 5 levels: A low score describes a poor nutritional condition (BCS 1-2). A BCS of 3 to 4 is considered optimum, whereas a high score (BCS = 5) is associated with obesity. While BCS are published for most common laboratory mammals, these assessment criteria are not directly applicable to clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) due to their intracoelomic fat body instead of subcutaneous fat tissue. Therefore, this assessment tool is still missing for Xenopus laevis. The present study aimed to establish a species-specific BCS for clawed frogs in terms of housing refinement in lab-animal facilities. Accordingly, 62 adult female Xenopus laevis were weighed and sized. Further, the body contour was defined, classified, and assigned to BCS groups. A BCS 5 was associated with a mean body weight of 193.3 g (± 27.6 g), whereas a BCS 4 ranged at 163.1 g (±16.0 g). Animals with a BCS = 3 had an average body weight of 114.7 g (±16.7 g). A BCS = 2 was determined in 3 animals (103 g, 110 g, and 111 g). One animal had a BCS = 1 (83 g), equivalent to a humane endpoint. In conclusion, individual examination using the presented visual BCS provides a quick and easy assessment of the nutritional status and overall health of adult female Xenopus laevis. Due to their ectothermic nature and the associated special metabolic situation, it can be assumed that a BCS ≥3 is to be preferred for female Xenopus laevis. In addition, BCS assessment may indicate underlying subclinical health problems that require further diagnostic investigation.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280000 |
| spellingShingle | Leonie Tix Lisa Ernst Britta Bungardt Steven R Talbot Gero Hilken René H Tolba Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis. PLoS ONE |
| title | Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis. |
| title_full | Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis. |
| title_fullStr | Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis. |
| title_short | Establishment of the body condition score for adult female Xenopus laevis. |
| title_sort | establishment of the body condition score for adult female xenopus laevis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280000 |
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