The deleterious effect of crossfostering in rat pups on hypoxic-ischemic injury tolerance and hypothermic neuroprotection

In conclusion, crossfostering alters outco mes in our established model through reduced insult tolerance and variable neuroprotection. Crossfostering as a common breeding practice is a largely unexplored variable in animal research that may result in invalid research conclusions if inadequately adjusted for by larger group sizes. As a result , crossfostering is likely to be inconsistent with the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement.
Source: Developmental Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research