2020 Virtual FENS Highlights - NEW Rat/Mice Convertible options

One of the most sophisticated solutions on the market!

Ideal for exercise training and fatigue studies in rodents, Panlab’s treadmills are recognized as some of the most sophisticated solutions on the market.

• Efficient bench footprint
• Durable, high quality finish
• Smart control unit with powerful graphic touchscreen
• Extensive range of speed choices for low to high speed requests
• Choice of many stop conditions for defining fatigue
• Constant electrical shock intensity to minimize inter-individual variability
• Positive and negative belt slope selections
• Shock or air puff stimulation option
• Indirect calorimetry option for respiratory metabolism studies
• Can be combined with telemetry (heart rate, temperature…) for more extensive cardiovascular studies

Basically, a radiant heat is applied on the tail; when the animal feels discomfort, it reacts by a sudden tail’s movement (tail flick) which automatically stops the stimulation and the timer for the measurement of the animal reaction time (period from the beginning of the stimulation until detection of the animal’s response).

This test has proved particularly sensitive for studying the analgesic properties of pharmacological substances. It can also be used to evaluate basal thermal pain sensitivity or to study putative genetic differences among animals without drug (‘naïve’). 

The LE7106 Tail-flick Meter consists of a Stimulation Unit (containing the halogen lamp for the heat stimulus) and an electronic Control Unit. The system can be used for rats and mice of different sizes. The animals are placed with its tail protruding within a restraining tube on the platform of the Stimulus Unit. The animal’s tail is positioned on a slot of adjustable width equipped with a groove that guarantees a correct placement of the rodent’s tail. A remote foot-switch controls the test start/stop allowing rapid hands-free experiments. 

A photo beam detects the tail flick and the latency is automatically presented on a digital display on the Control Unit. Measurements of reaction time are given with a 0.01 s precision. A cut-off time is set to avoid tissue damage (by default: 20 s). The precise control of the heat stimulus and the groove system ensure optimum repeatability and reliability of results.

The optional SeDacom software (new version 2.0 available) can be used and represents an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis.

Panlab Shuttle Boxes LE916 (Rats) and LE918 (Mice) provide the ideal environment to carry out conditioned reflexes (Active and Passive Avoidance) in learning and memory studies.

Basically, the Panlab Shuttle box (LE916-918) consists of two equally sized compartments with two independent grid floors. A frontal door, in addition to the top ones, allows an easy access inside the box. The cage contains a general sound generator and a visual stimulus (light) for each compartment. 

The Animal is detected by two Weight Transducers located above the static grids, avoiding the problems inherent to photoelectrical or grid tilting systems (high speeds of displacements in mice, tail detection in rats).

Panlab Shuttle box is thought to be easily set up and dismantled. Therefore, reconverting it to traditional Passive Box is quite straightforward by adding a sliding door (LE916D for mice or LE918D for rats). Furthermore, it is possible to set up different wall shapes or colours in order to further condition the subject of study either visually or spatially.

The shuttle boxes are controlled by the (ShutAvoid) software allowing to run active avoidance and passive avoidance experiments in several boxes simultaneously. It is not necessary the interface neither the use of board installed into the PC. The link is carried out by one only cable from one Box to the other. The first Box is connected to PC or Laptop by the port RS 232 or USB.

The LE 100-26 is an electric shock generator used in a wide variety of Panlab apparatus for assessing behavior in laboratory animal. 

The shock is generally applied to the bars of the floor grid of the Experimentation Cages. The electric shock is made of rectangular current pulses switching consecutively over 6 bars (scrambler). Current is isolated with respect to ground, as a basic safety precaution to avoid electrical interference with other equipment. The output current depends entirely on the value selected by the user and not the resistance of the animal or the number of bars it is touching when it receives the electric shock, thereby ensuring that the repeatability of the electric shock is maximized. The time duration of the electric shock is also adjustable.

Rotational behaviour has proved a popular technique for screening the behavioural effects of a wide variety of lesions, drugs, and other experimental manipulations on the brain of rodents. This test is widely carried out in experiments using animal models of Parkinson disease with unilateral lesions in the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system.

Basically, the subject wears an adjustable harness with a soft ring connected to the rotation sensor by a flexible tie. The subject is then placed into a transparent container (cylinder or bowl) with a lateral support for a vertical stand. 

A bi-directional rotation sensor provides a double (right and left turns) output with adjustable regulation of pulses/turns. Two configurations are available for rotation counting: individual counter or a multicounter.

When using a multicounter, the new SEDACOM 2.0 version provides an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis.

The Panlab LE7306 paw & test pressure meter is used for performing the Randall & Selitto test in rodents.

The “Eight Arms Radial Maze" is extensively used in behavioural laboratories for evaluating spatial memory but also non-spatial memory associated with motivational cues (classically food).

Panlab propose 3 solutions for radial maze experiments:

• Manual radial maze LE760/LE762 that can be used optionally with the SMART video tracking software
• Semi-automated radial maze LE767/LE769 that can be used optionally with the SMART video tracking software
• Automated radial maze with photobeams LE766/LE768

All Panlab radial mazes consist in a central area with eight sliding doors giving access to eight equally-sized arms. The maze, made of black Plexiglas, is mounted on a tripod with adjustable height high (until 1m). Each arm has lateral walls with a height higher in the proximal side of the arm than in the distal side. The arms are easily detachable by unscrewing an underneath fixing knob. In the distal extreme of each arm, a detachable recessed cup can be installed or replaced by cover (all included). 

The sliding doors can be opened and closed automatically or manually:

- Automated doors operation can be controlled by the animal position throughout the test using the Mazesoft-8 software associated with photoelectrical cell mounted on the radial maze and the corresponding control unit. See the application sheet available in the Download section.

- Manual doors operation can be made remotely by the user by using the switches available on the control unit. 

- Manual doors operation can be made in situ by the user by using the threads provided for opening of closing each door. 

A water version of the radial maze (aquatic radial maze) is also available (see related water maze products).

The Digital Water Plethysmometer is designed to provide a highly useful tool in the measurement of small volume changes. This test is typically used to follow the evolution of the inflammatory response experimentally induced in rodents and to screen potential anti-inflammatory or anti-oedema properties of pharmacological substances.

Basically, the volume transducer is formed by two Perspex tubes interconnected and filled with a conductive solution and a platinum electrode for each chamber. All the system is supported by a stand (included) that can be placed over the control unit.

The water displacement produced by the immersion of the animal paw in the measuring tube is reflected into the second tube, inducing a change in the conductance between the two platinum electrodes. The Plethysmometer Control Unit detects the conductance changes and generates an output signal to the digital display indicating the volume displacement measured (0.01 ml resolution). The current value remains in the digital display until a new trial starts. The Control Unit is automatically zeroed between successive readings, thus making intermediate adjustments unnecessary. 

A remote foot-switch allowing rapid hands-free experiments can be used to set control the end point of the measurement.

The optional SeDacom software (new version 2.0 available) can be used and represents an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis.

Passive avoidance is fear-motivated tests classically used to assess short-term or long-term memory on small laboratory animals (rat, mice). 

Basically, passive avoidance working protocols involve timing of transitions, i.e. time that the animal takes to move from the white compartment to the black one after a conditioning session -in which the entry into the black compartment is punished with a mild inescapable electrical shock- is carried out.

The Panlab passive avoidance box (LE870/872) is defined by a large white illuminated compartment and a small black dark compartment separated by a guillotine gate. The animal position is detected by using high sensitivity weight transducers providing higher effective and reliable detection of animal responses (zones entries) than systems based on photocells beams or on grid floor displacements.

Panlab Passive Avoidance boxes are controlled by the ShutAvoid software, allowing to run passive avoidance experiments in several boxes simultaneously. It is not necessary the use of PCI board installed into the PC. The link is carried out by one only cable from one Box to the other. The first Box is connected to PC or Laptop through a RS232/USB communcation.

The passive avoidance test can also be conducted in a shuttle box for both the active and passive avoidance tests.

Open-field experiments allow the evaluation of animal’s basal activity and its evolution, in response to novelty or anxiogenic environment, and in response to pharmacological treatment, lesion or genetic modification.

Panlab proposes square open-fields available for rats and mice. The arena is made of durable material which has the advantage to be non-absorbent to the odours and easy to clean. The arena is surrounded by high walls and is available in different non reflective colours for video-tracking purposes. The system is entirely demountable for enabling storage in the minimum space. The floor can be divided into equal squares under request for the direct counting of animal activity. 

The Panlab open-field can be combined with the SMART video-tracking system for the automated evaluation of a wide variety of behaviors (activity, exploration, anxiety, etc...)