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Why Can't Rodents Vomit? A Comparative Behavioral, Anatomical, and Physiological Study

Horn, CC; Kimball, BA; Wang, H; Kaus, J; Dienel, S; Nagy, A; Gathright, GR; Yates, BJ; Andrews, PL (2013) Why Can't Rodents Vomit? A Comparative Behavioral, Anatomical, and Physiological Study. PLOS ONE, 8 (4). e60537 (1) - e60537 (16). ISSN 1932-6203 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060537
SGUL Authors: Andrews, Paul Lyn Rodney

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Abstract

The vomiting (emetic) reflex is documented in numerous mammalian species, including primates and carnivores, yet laboratory rats and mice appear to lack this response. It is unclear whether these rodents do not vomit because of anatomical constraints (e.g., a relatively long abdominal esophagus) or lack of key neural circuits. Moreover, it is unknown whether laboratory rodents are representative of Rodentia with regards to this reflex. Here we conducted behavioral testing of members of all three major groups of Rodentia; mouse-related (rat, mouse, vole, beaver), Ctenohystrica (guinea pig,nutria), and squirrel-related (mountain beaver) species. Prototypical emetic agents, apomorphine (sc), veratrine (sc), and copper sulfate (ig), failed to produce either retching or vomiting in these species (although other behavioral effects, e.g., locomotion, were noted). These rodents also had anatomical constraints, which could limit the efficiency of vomiting should it be attempted, including reduced muscularity of the diaphragm and stomach geometry that is not well structured for moving contents towards the esophagus compared to species that can vomit (cat, ferret, and musk shrew). Lastly, an in situ brainstem preparation was used to make sensitive measures of mouth, esophagus, and shoulder muscular movements, and phrenic nerve activity–key features of emetic episodes. Laboratory mice and rats failed to display any of the common coordinated actions of these indices after typical emetic stimulation (resiniferatoxin and vagal afferent stimulation) compared to musk shrews. Overall the results suggest that the inability to vomit is a general property of Rodentia and that an absent brainstem neurological component is the most likely cause. The implications of these findings for the utility of rodents as models in the area of emesis research are discussed.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Copyright: 2013 Horn et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Keywords: Animals, Behavior, Animal, Phylogeny, Rodentia, Vomiting, Science & Technology, Multidisciplinary Sciences, Science & Technology - Other Topics, MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES, CISPLATIN-INDUCED EMESIS, HOUSE MUSK SHREW, BRAIN-STEM PREPARATION, TACHYKININ NK1 RECEPTOR, DRUG-INDUCED EMESIS, SUNCUS-MURINUS, ANTIEMETIC ACTIVITY, EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL, PHRENIC MOTONEURONS, LITHIUM-CHLORIDE, General Science & Technology, MD Multidisciplinary
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education (IMBE)
Academic Structure > Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education (IMBE) > Centre for Biomedical Education (INMEBE)
Journal or Publication Title: PLOS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
Related URLs:
Dates:
DateEvent
10 April 2013Published
Web of Science ID: WOS:000317382000018
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/107043
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060537

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