Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
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| light masking in the field: an experiment with nocturnal and diurnal spiny mice under semi-natural field conditions. | light masking has been studied almost exclusively in the laboratory. the authors populated four field enclosures with locally coexisting nocturnal acomys cahirinus and diurnal a. russatus, and monitored their body temperatures (t(b)) using implanted temperature-sensitive radio transmitters. a 3-h light pulse was initiated at the beginning of two consecutive nights; preceding nights were controls. a. cahirinus t(b) and calculated activity levels decreased significantly during the light pulse, dem ... | 2011 | 21182406 |
| the current status of fleas according to environmental changes in some governorates in egypt. | a preliminary survey of domestic rodent and their fleas was carried out in different environmental governorates (ismailia, dakahlia, el-fayoum, north sinai and matrouh), egypt. flea index (number of flea/rodent) and percentage frequency of different flea species were recorded in spring (2009- 2010). the main rodent species found were the norway rat, rattus norvegicus, the grey-bellied rat, rattus rattus alexandrinus, the white- bellied rat, rattus rattus frugivorus, the house mouse, mus musculus ... | 2011 | 21634253 |
| a maternal diet supplemented with creatine from mid-pregnancy protects the newborn spiny mouse brain from birth hypoxia. | the creatine-phosphocreatine shuttle is essential for the maintenance of cellular atp, particularly under hypoxic conditions when respiration may become anaerobic. using a model of intrapartum hypoxia in the precocial spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus), the present study assessed the potential for maternal creatine supplementation during pregnancy to protect the developing brain from the effects of birth hypoxia. on day 38 of gestation (term is 39 days), the pregnant uterus was isolated and placed i ... | 2011 | 21640166 |
| follicular atresia in the prepubertal spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) ovary. | this study was designed to determine follicular atresia in the newborn and the prepubertal spiny mouse. we analyzed the processes of follicle loss using classical markers of apoptosis (tunel reaction, active caspase-3) and autophagy (lamp1). numerous small clear vacuoles and autophagosomes as well as strong lamp1 staining were observed in dying oocytes of all follicle types, especially of the primordial and primary ones. active caspase 3 and the tunel reaction were detected only in the granulosa ... | 2011 | 21739276 |
| the effect of the lunar cycle on fecal cortisol metabolite levels and foraging ecology of nocturnally and diurnally active spiny mice. | we studied stress hormones and foraging of nocturnal acomys cahirinus and diurnal a. russatus in field populations as well as in two field enclosures populated by both species and two field enclosures with individuals of a. russatus alone. when alone, a. russatus individuals become also nocturnally active. we asked whether nocturnally active a. russatus will respond to moon phase and whether this response will be obtained also in diurnally active individuals. we studied giving-up densities (guds ... | 2011 | 21829733 |
| feeding performance of fleas on different host species: is phylogenetic distance between hosts important? | we asked if and how feeding performance of fleas on an auxiliary host is affected by the phylogenetic distance between this host and the principal host of a flea. we investigated the feeding of 2 flea species, parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis, on a principal (acomys cahirinus and meriones crassus, respectively) and 8 auxiliary host species. we predicted that fleas would perform better (higher proportion of fleas would feed and take larger bloodmeals) on (a) a principal rather than an ... | 2012 | 21996472 |
| photoperiodicity and increasing salinity as environmental cues for reproduction in desert adapted rodents. | understanding the ways environmental signals, regulate reproduction and reproductive behavior of desert adapted rodents is a major gap in our knowledge. in this study, we assessed the roles of photoperiod and diet salinity, as signals for reproduction. we challenged desert adapted common spiny mice, acomys cahirinus, males and females with osmotic stress, by gradually increasing salinity in their water source - from 0.9% to 5% nacl under short and long days (sd and ld, respectively). photoperiod ... | 2011 | 22067261 |
| effect of maternal administration of allopregnanolone before birth asphyxia on neonatal hippocampal function in the spiny mouse. | clinically, treatment options where fetal distress is anticipated or identified are limited. allopregnanolone is an endogenous steroid, that positively modulates the gaba(a) receptor, and that has anti-apoptotic and anti-excitotoxic actions, reducing brain damage in adult animal models of brain injury. we sought to determine if prophylactic treatment of the pregnant female with a single dose of this steroid could reduce birth asphyxia-induced losses in hippocampal function at 5days of age (p5) i ... | 2012 | 22169500 |
| the isolation and characterization of putative mesenchymal stem cells from the spiny mouse. | the bone marrow represents the most common source from which to isolate mesenchymal stem cells (mscs). mscs are capable of differentiating into tissues of the three primary lineages and have the potential to enhance repair in damaged organs through the principals of regenerative medicine. given the ease with which mscs may be isolated from different species the aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative bone marrow derived mscs from the spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus. mscs were is ... | 2012 | 22367020 |
| digesting blood of an auxiliary host in fleas: effect of phylogenetic distance from a principal host. | fleas are haematophagous ectoparasites that exhibit varying degrees of host specificity. flea abundance is highest on principal hosts and lower on auxiliary hosts but may vary greatly among auxiliary hosts. we investigated the feeding and energy expenditure for digestion in two flea species parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis on a principal host (acomys cahirinus and meriones crassus, respectively) and eight auxiliary host species. we predicted that fleas would perform better - that is ( ... | 2012 | 22442362 |
| reproductive and metabolic responses of desert adapted common spiny male mice (acomys cahirinus) to vasopressin treatment. | sufficient amounts of water and food are important cues for reproduction in an unpredictable environment. we previously demonstrated that increased osmolarity levels, or exogenous vasopressin (vp) treatment halt reproduction of desert adapted golden spiny mice acomys russatus. in this research we studied gonad regulation by vp and food restriction (fr) in desert adapted common spiny mouse (a. cahirinus) males, kept under two different photoperiod regimes-short (sd-8l:16d) and long (ld-16l:8d) da ... | 2012 | 22542814 |
| biophysical modeling of the temporal niche: from first principles to the evolution of activity patterns. | most mammals can be characterized as nocturnal or diurnal. however infrequently, species may overcome evolutionary constraints and alter their activity patterns. we modeled the fundamental temporal niche of a diurnal desert rodent, the golden spiny mouse, acomys russatus. this species can shift into nocturnal activity in the absence of its congener, the common spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus, suggesting that it was competitively driven into diurnality and that this shift in a small desert rodent m ... | 2012 | 22617266 |
| a superovulation protocol for the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | this study aimed to develop a superovulation protocol for the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). the spiny mouse is a desert-adapted rodent species, with a long oestrus cycle (11 days) compared with rat and mouse, and gives birth to few (mean litter size is 3) precocial offspring after a relatively long gestation (39 days). we successfully optimised a superovulation protocol that elicited a 5-fold increase in the normal ovulation rate of this species. to induce superovulation in the spiny mouse 2 i ... | 2012 | 22951246 |
| the effects of lighting conditions and food restriction paradigms on locomotor activity of common spiny mice, acomys cahirinus. | an endogenous circadian clock controls locomotor activity in common spiny mice (acomys cahirinus). however, little is known about the effects of constant light (ll) on this activity or about the existence of an additional food entrainable clock. a series of experiments were performed to investigate the effects of ll and dd on tau and activity levels. | 2012 | 22958374 |
| behaviour and hippocampus-specific changes in spiny mouse neonates after treatment of the mother with the viral-mimetic poly i:c at mid-pregnancy. | epidemiological studies have suggested a link between prenatal exposure to bacterial or viral infections and subsequent development of mental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. animal models to study the prenatal origin of such outcomes of pregnancy have largely used conventional rodents which are immature at birth compared to the human neonate, and doses of the infective agent (i.e., lipopolysaccharide, poly i:c) have been large enough to cause sickness behaviour in the mother. in this ... | 2012 | 22960545 |
| sexually dimorphic placental development throughout gestation in the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | it has been hypothesized that male fetuses down regulate placental growth during periods of accelerated fetal growth. we aimed to investigate this, and determine whether sexual dimorphism was apparent in the spiny mouse placenta. we hypothesized that expression of fetal growth promoters would be higher in placentas of males, whereas genes involved in placental structural development would be more highly expressed in placentas of females. | 2013 | 23260227 |
| ontogeny of the adrenal gland in the spiny mouse, with particular reference to production of the steroids cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone. | synthesis of the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (dhea) by the fetal adrenal gland is important for placental estrogen production and may also be important for modulating the effects of glucocorticoids on the developing brain. the presence of cortisol in spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) blood led us to determine whether the adrenal gland of this precocial rodent also synthesized dhea. cytochrome p450 enzyme 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (p450c17), cytochrome-b5 (cytb5), and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydro ... | 2013 | 23354096 |
| effect of conspecific and heterospecific urine odors on the foraging behavior of the golden spiny mouse. | the common spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) inhibits the foraging activity of the golden spiny mouse (a. russatus). these two sympatric species of spiny mice, which are considered habitat competitors, occur in extreme arid environments. to test this theory of competition, the influence of urinary odors of both conspecific and heterospecific mice on the foraging behavior of a. russatus was studied under controlled laboratory conditions. twenty adult males, born in captivity and unfamiliar to the od ... | 2012 | 23621466 |
| energy expenditure for egg production in arthropod ectoparasites: the effect of host species. | we studied the energy cost of egg production in two flea species (parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis) feeding on principal (acomys cahirinus and meriones crassus, respectively) and auxiliary (m. crassus and a. cahirinus, respectively) rodent hosts. we predicted that fleas feeding on principal as compared with auxiliary hosts will (a) expend less energy for egg production; (b) produce larger eggs and (c) live longer after oviposition. both fleas produced more eggs and spent less energy p ... | 2013 | 23659324 |
| obesity and diabetes mellitus with striking congenital hyperplasia of the islets of langerhans in spiny mice (acomys cahirinus) : i. histological findings and preliminary metabolic observations. | spiny mice (acomys) are a group of small rodents indigenous to the eastern mediterranean and africa. the acomys cahirinus strain reported on here is indigenous to israel. the strain is characterized by striking and congenital hyperplasia of the islets of langerhans, primarily of the beta cells. the endocrine tissue contributes up to 15 per cent of the pancreatic mass in adults, up to 25 per cent in the newborn. pancreatic insulin content may be as high as 100 units per gram wet weight. when feda ... | 1966 | 24173297 |
| sympatric incipient speciation of spiny mice acomys at "evolution canyon," israel. | does the paucity of empirical evidence of sympatric speciation in nature reflect reality, despite theoretical support? or is it due to inappropriate searches in nature with overly restrictive assumptions and an incorrect null hypothesis? spiny mice, acomys, described here at evolution canyon (ec) incipiently and sympatrically speciate owing to microclimatic interslope divergence. the opposite slopes at ec vary dramatically, physically and biotically, representing the dry and hot south-facing slo ... | 2014 | 24402169 |
| ectoparasitism and stress hormones: strategy of host exploitation, common host-parasite history and energetics matter. | parasites are thought to have numerous negative effects on their hosts. these negative effects may be associated with stress in a host. we evaluated the effects of four species of flea ectoparasites (parapulex chephrenis, synosternus cleopatrae, xenopsylla conformis and xenopsylla ramesis) on non-specific responses of eight species of rodents (meriones crassus, gerbillus dasyurus, gerbillus andersoni, gerbillus pyramidum, gerbillus nanus, acomys cahirinus, acomys russatus and mesocricetus auratu ... | 2014 | 24661039 |
| the comparative gastrointestinal morphology of five species of muroid rodents found in saudi arabia. | meriones rex (king jird), meriones libycus (libyan jird), acomys dimidiatus (eastern spiny mouse), acomys cahirinus (egyptian spiny mouse), and dipodillus dasyurus (wagner's dipodil) are five species of small rodents of the superfamily muroidea with distributions in eastern africa, egypt, and the desert regions of the arabian peninsula. water is scarce in these regions and may result in relatively low-digestible food. the aim of the present study is to describe and compare the gastrointestinal t ... | 2014 | 24664865 |
| a comparative study of reproductive and metabolic responses to administration of exogenous melatonin and aldosterone in xeric and mesic spiny mice populations. | a comparative study of reproduction revealed differences between desert-adapted acomys russatus and mediterranean acomys cahirinus populations with respect to the environmental cues used for reproductive activity. long day (ld) conditions were noted as initial reproductive cue for both populations. this research is a follow-up affects comparative endocrine and metabolic study in regards to reproduction where ld-acclimated mice were treated with, exogenous aldosterone (aldo) and melatonin (mlt). ... | 2014 | 24674819 |
| prenatal exposure to the viral mimetic poly i:c alters fetal brain cytokine expression and postnatal behaviour. | an increased incidence of mental illness disorders is found in children and adolescents born to mothers who experienced an infection-based illness during pregnancy. animal models to study the prenatal origin of such outcomes of pregnancy have largely used conventional rodents, which are immature (altricial) at birth compared with the human neonate. in this study, we used the precocial spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus), whose offspring have completed organogenesis at birth, and administered a single ... | 2014 | 24863806 |
| spiny mouse's (acomys cahirinus) use of its distance senses in prey localization. | this study examined the relative importance that olfaction, audition and vision played in the spiny mouse's localization of insect prey. these three senses were blocked singly or in various combinations so that a mouse was tested under 8 different situations with a tethered live cricket and four with a dead cricket. the mice did not rely on one particular sense more than the others, but in certain situations olfaction and audition proved more important than vision in the localization of a live c ... | 1988 | 24896404 |
| age at weaning, immunocompetence and ectoparasite performance in a precocial desert rodent. | we studied the effects of early weaning on immunocompetence and parasite resistance in a precocial rodent acomys cahirinus. we hypothesized that if parasite resistance is energetically expensive and nutritional and immunological support from mothers are necessary for the long-term health of offspring, then early weaned animals would be immunologically weaker and less able to defend themselves against parasites than later weaned animals. we weaned pups at 14, 21 or 28 days after birth and assesse ... | 2014 | 24948645 |
| understanding the behavioural phenotype of the precocial spiny mouse. | the use of the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) in experimental research is steadily increasing, due to the precocial nature of this species and the similarities in endocrinology to the human. the characterisation of normal behavioural traits throughout development has not been comprehensively measured in the spiny mouse. therefore the aim of this study was to behaviourally phenotype the spiny mouse, with the use of behavioural paradigms commonly used to assess behaviour in rat and mouse models of ... | 2014 | 25157432 |
| taste and physiological responses to glucosinolates: seed predator versus seed disperser. | in contrast to most other plant tissues, fleshy fruits are meant to be eaten in order to facilitate seed dispersal. although fleshy fruits attract consumers, they may also contain toxic secondary metabolites. however, studies that link the effect of fruit toxins with seed dispersal and predation are scarce. glucosinolates (glss) are a family of bitter-tasting compounds. the fleshy fruit pulp of ochradenus baccatus was previously found to harbor high concentrations of glss, whereas the myrosinase ... | 2014 | 25383693 |
| prenatally administered dexamethasone impairs folliculogenesis in spiny mouse offspring. | this study was designed to determine whether prenatal dexamethasone treatment has an effect on follicular development and atresia in the ovary of spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) offspring. dexamethasone (125µg kg-1 bodyweight per day) was administered to pregnant spiny mice from day 20 of gestation to parturition. the processes of follicle loss were analysed using classical markers of apoptosis (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dutp nick end-labelling reaction, active caspase-3) and ... | 2015 | 25562684 |
| diversity and habitat association of small mammals in aridtsy forest, awi zone, ethiopia. | here, we conducted a survey to examine the diversity, distribution and habitat association of small mammals from august 2011 to february 2012 incorporating both wet and dry seasons in aridtsy forest, awi zone, ethiopia. using sherman live traps and snap traps in four randomly selected trapping grids, namely, natural forest, bushland, grassland and farmland, a total of 468 individuals comprising eight species of small mammals (live traps) and 89 rodents of six species (snap traps) were trapped in ... | 2015 | 25855227 |
| host choice of phlebotomus orientalis (diptera: psychodidae) in animal baited experiments: a field study in tahtay adiyabo district, northern ethiopia. | host choice and feeding success of sand fly vectors of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) are important factors in understanding the epidemiology and for developing efficient control strategies. the aim of the present study was to determine the host preference of phlebotomus orientalis in the vl focus of tahtay adiyabo district, northern ethiopia. | 2015 | 25885333 |
| fitness responses to co-infestation in fleas exploiting rodent hosts. | to understand mechanisms behind positive interspecific co-occurrences in flea infracommunities, we asked whether co-infestation results in an increase of flea fitness (quantity and/or quality of the offspring). we studied reproductive performance of xenopsylla ramesis and parapulex chephrenis when they exploited their characteristic host (meriones crassus and acomys cahirinus, respectively) either alone or together with another species. we used egg production, the number of new imagoes, pre-imag ... | 2015 | 26283316 |
| ontogenetic change in the regional distribution of dehydroepiandrosterone-synthesizing enzyme and the glucocorticoid receptor in the brain of the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (dhea) has trophic and anti-glucocorticoid actions on brain growth. the adrenal gland of the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) synthesizes dhea. the aim of this study was to determine whether the brain of this precocial species is also able to produce dhea de novo during fetal, neonatal and adult life. the expression of p450c17 and cytochrome b5 (cytb5), the enzyme and accessory protein responsible for the synthesis of dhea, was determined in fetal, neonatal and ... | 2016 | 26501835 |
| experimental evidence of negative interspecific interactions among imago fleas: flea and host identities matter. | we investigated interspecific interactions between two flea species (parapulex chephrenis and xenopsylla ramesis) via evaluation of their feeding success (the size of a blood meal and time to death after a single blood meal) when they exploited rodent hosts [acomys cahirinus (a characteristic host of the former) or meriones crassus (a characteristic host of the latter)] in single-species or mixed-species groups. we predicted that the negative interactions between the two fleas will result in sma ... | 2016 | 26555877 |
| the influence of dexamethasone administered prenatally on cartilage of newborn spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) offspring. | considering the negative effects of glucocorticoid treatment, especially during fetal development it is important to investigate effectors decreasing such disadvantages. the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatally administered dexamethasone (dex), a synthetic glucocorticoid, on the histomorphometry of the femur in the offspring of spiny mice. the study was performed on 24 pregnant spiny mice. the time of the experiment included the prenatal period between the 20th day of ge ... | 2015 | 26572067 |
| the biology and husbandry of the african spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) and the research uses of a laboratory colony. | african spiny mice (acomys spp.) are unique precocial rodents that are found in africa, the middle east, and southern asia. they exhibit several interesting life-history characteristics, including precocial development, communal breeding, and a suite of physiologic adaptations to desert life. in addition to these characteristics, african spiny mice are emerging as an important animal model for tissue regeneration research. furthermore, their important phylogenetic position among murid rodents ma ... | 2016 | 26817973 |
| comparative analysis of ear-hole closure identifies epimorphic regeneration as a discrete trait in mammals. | why mammals have poor regenerative ability has remained a long-standing question in biology. in regenerating vertebrates, injury can induce a process known as epimorphic regeneration to replace damaged structures. using a 4-mm ear punch assay across multiple mammalian species, here we show that several acomys spp. (spiny mice) and oryctolagus cuniculus completely regenerate tissue, whereas other rodents including mrl/mpj 'healer' mice heal similar injuries by scarring. we demonstrate ear-hole cl ... | 2016 | 27109826 |
| effects of fruit toxins on intestinal and microbial β-glucosidase activities of seed-predating and seed-dispersing rodents (acomys spp.). | plant secondary compounds (pscs) have profound influence on the ecological interaction between plants and their consumers. glycosides, a class of psc, are inert in their intact form and become toxic on activation by either plant β-glucosidase enzymes or endogenous β-glucosidases produced by the intestine of the plant-predator or its microbiota. many insect herbivores decrease activities of endogenous β-glucosidases to limit toxin exposure. however, such an adaptation has never been investigated ... | 2017 | 27153129 |
| detection of bartonella spp. in wild carnivores, hyraxes, hedgehog and rodents from israel. | bartonella infection was explored in wild animals from israel. golden jackals (canis aureus), red foxes (vulpes vulpes), rock hyraxes (procavia capensis), southern white-breasted hedgehogs (erinaceus concolor), social voles (microtus socialis), tristram's jirds (meriones tristrami), cairo spiny mice (acomys cahirinus), house mice (mus musculus) and indian crested porcupines (hystrix indica) were sampled and screened by molecular and isolation methods. bartonella-dna was detected in 46 animals: 9 ... | 2016 | 27210612 |
| sympatric speciation of spiny mice, acomys, unfolded transcriptomically at evolution canyon, israel. | spiny mice, acomys cahirinus, colonized israel 30,000 y ago from dry tropical africa and inhabited rocky habitats across israel. earlier, we had shown by mtdna that a. cahirinus incipiently sympatrically speciates at evolution canyon i (ec i) in mount carmel, israel because of microclimatic interslope divergence. the ec i microsite consists of a dry and hot savannoid "african" slope (as) and an abutting humid and cool-forested "european" slope (es). here, we substantiate incipient ss in a. cahir ... | 2016 | 27370801 |
| ear wound regeneration in the african spiny mouse acomys cahirinus. | while regeneration occurs in a number of taxonomic groups across the metazoa, there are very few reports of regeneration in mammals, which generally respond to wounding with fibrotic scarring rather than regeneration. a recent report described skin shedding, skin regeneration and extensive ear punch closure in two rodent species, acomys kempi and acomys percivali. we examined these striking results by testing the capacity for regeneration of a third species, acomys cahirinus, and found a remarka ... | 2016 | 27499879 |
| first evidence of a menstruating rodent: the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | advances in research relating to menstruation and associated disorders (eg, endometriosis and premenstrual syndrome) have been hindered by the lack of an appropriate animal model. menstruation, the cyclical shedding of the decidualized endometrium in the absence of pregnancy, is believed to be limited to 78 higher-order primates (human beings and old world monkeys), 4 species of bat, and the elephant shrew. this represents only 1.5% of the known 5502 mammalian species and <0.09% of these are non ... | 2017 | 27503621 |
| effects of parasitism on host reproductive investment in a rodent-flea system: host litter size matters. | parents may alter offspring phenotype depending on the type of environment they encounter. parasitism is a common stressor; therefore, maternal reproductive investment could change in response to parasitic infection. however, few experiments have investigated the relationship between parasitism and maternal investment, whereas earlier field studies provided contradictory evidence. we investigated number, sex ratio, and growth of offspring in two rodent species, solitary altricial meriones crassu ... | 2017 | 27900542 |
| macrophages are necessary for epimorphic regeneration in african spiny mice. | how the immune system affects tissue regeneration is not well understood. in this study, we used an emerging mammalian model of epimorphic regeneration, the african spiny mouse, to examine cell-based inflammation and tested the hypothesis that macrophages are necessary for regeneration. by directly comparing inflammatory cell activation in a 4 mm ear injury during regeneration (acomys cahirinus) and scarring (mus musculus), we found that both species exhibited an acute inflammatory response, wit ... | 2017 | 28508748 |
| preliminary study on investigation of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in endemic foci of ethiopia by detecting leishmania infections in rodents. | to investigate the zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl) by identification of the most probable reservoir hosts using parasite isolation and analysis of a possible transmission dynamics of the disease in extra-domestic agricultural fields and rural villages. | 2017 | 28552113 |
| description of a method for inducing fetal growth restriction in the spiny mouse. | intrauterine or fetal growth restriction (iugr) is a major complication of pregnancy and leads to significant perinatal morbidities and mortality. typically, induction of iugr in animals involves the complete occlusion or ablation of vessels to the uterus or placenta, acutely impairing blood flow and fetal growth, usually with high fetal loss. we aimed to produce a model of reduced fetal growth in the spiny mouse with minimal fetal loss. at 27 days gestational age (term is 38-39 days), a piece o ... | 2017 | 28659226 |
| de novo transcriptome assembly for the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | spiny mice of the genus acomys display several unique physiological traits, including menstruation and scar-free wound healing; characteristics that are exceedingly rare in mammals, and of considerable interest to the scientific community. these unique attributes, and the potential for spiny mice to accurately model human diseases, are driving increased use of this genus in biomedical research, however little genetic information is accessible for this species. this project aimed to generate a dr ... | 2017 | 28827620 |
| a missing piece: the spiny mouse and the puzzle of menstruating species. | we recently discovered the first known menstruating rodent. with the exception of four bats and the elephant shrew, the common spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) is the only species outside the primate order to exhibit menses. there are few widely accepted theories on why menstruation developed as the preferred reproductive strategy of these select mammals, all of which reference the evolution of spontaneous decidualisation prior to menstrual shedding. though menstruating species share several repro ... | 2018 | 29789322 |
| can we predict the success of a parasite to colonise an invasive host? | to understand whether a parasite can exploit a novel invasive host species, we measured reproductive performance (number of eggs per female per day, egg size, development rate and size of new imagoes) of fleas from the negev desert in israel (two host generalists, synosternus cleopatrae and xenopsylla ramesis, and a host specialist, parapulex chephrenis) when they exploited either a local murid host (gerbillus andersoni, meriones crassus and acomys cahirinus) or two alien hosts (north american h ... | 2018 | 29797081 |
| perfect chronic skeletal muscle regeneration in adult spiny mice, acomys cahirinus. | the spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus, is an adult mammal capable of remarkable feats of scar-free tissue regeneration after damage to several organs including the skin and the heart. here we investigate the regenerative properties of the skeletal muscle of a. cahirinus tibialis anterior in comparison to the lab mouse, mus musculus. the a. cahirinus ta showed a similar distribution of myosin heavy chain fibre types and a reduced proportion of oxidative fibres compared to m. musculus. there were diff ... | 2018 | 29892004 |
| optimal skin regeneration after full thickness thermal burn injury in the spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus. | the spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus, shows remarkable regenerative abilities after excisional skin wounding by regrowing hair, sebaceous glands, smooth muscle, skeletal muscle and dermis without scarring. we have asked here whether this same regeneration can be seen after full thickness thermal burn injuries. using a brass rod thermal injury model we show that in contrast to the lab mouse, mus musculus, which forms a thick scar covered by a hairless epidermis, the spiny mouse regenerates all the t ... | 2018 | 29903601 |
| evaluation of 3k3a-activated protein c to treat neonatal hypoxic ischemic brain injury in the spiny mouse. | neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (hie) resulting from intrapartum asphyxia is a global problem that causes severe disabilities and up to 1 million deaths annually. a variant form of activated protein c, 3k3a-apc, has cytoprotective properties that attenuate brain injury in models of adult stroke. in this study, we compared the ability of 3k3a-apc and apc (wild-type (wt)) to attenuate neonatal brain injury, using the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) model of intrapartum asphyxia. pups were ... | 2019 | 30225791 |
| altered exploratory behaviour and increased food intake in the spiny mouse before menstruation: a unique pre-clinical model for examining premenstrual syndrome. | does the newly discovered menstruating spiny mouse exhibit behavioural and metabolic changes in correlation with premenstrual phases of the menstrual cycle? | 2019 | 30561655 |
| monkeys, mice and menses: the bloody anomaly of the spiny mouse. | the common spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) is the only known rodent to demonstrate a myriad of physiological processes unseen in their murid relatives. the most recently discovered of these uncharacteristic traits: spontaneous decidual transformation of the uterus in virgin females, preceding menstruation. menstruation occurring without experimental intervention in rodents has not been documented elsewhere to date, and natural menstruation is indeed rare in the animal kingdom outside of higher or ... | 2019 | 30610663 |
| comparative regenerative biology of spiny (acomys cahirinus) and laboratory (mus musculus) mouse skin. | wound-induced hair follicle neogenesis (wihn) has been demonstrated in laboratory mice (mus musculus) after large (>1.5 × 1.5 cm2 ) full-thickness wounds. wihn occurs more robustly in african spiny mice (acomys cahirinus), which undergo autotomy to escape predation. yet, the non-wihn regenerative ability of the spiny mouse skin has not been explored. to understand the regenerative ability of the spiny mouse, we characterized skin features such as hair types, hair cycling, and the response to sma ... | 2019 | 30734959 |
| comparative transcriptomic analysis of dermal wound healing reveals de novo skeletal muscle regeneration in acomys cahirinus. | the african spiny mouse, acomys spp., is capable of scar-free dermal wound healing. here, we have performed a comprehensive analysis of gene expression throughout wound healing following full-thickness excisional dermal wounds in both acomys cahirinus and mus musculus. additionally, we provide an annotated, de novo transcriptome assembly of a. cahirinus skin and skin wounds. using a novel computational comparative rna-seq approach along with pathway and co-expression analyses, we identify enrich ... | 2019 | 31141508 |
| surface analysis of etched enamel modified during the prenatal period. | structural changes in the enamel surface subjected to induced demineralization and assessment of the influence of prenatal administration of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (hmb) on enamel resistance were investigated. the examination was conducted on five sets of teeth from one-day-old spiny mice (acomys cahirinus), one from the control and four from the experimental groups. surface structure, molecular arrangement and crystalline organization of offspring's enamel both before and after etching were ... | 2019 | 31226619 |
| flea infestation, social contact, and stress in a gregarious rodent species: minimizing the potential parasitic costs of group-living. | both parasitism and social contact are common sources of stress that many gregarious species encounter in nature. upon encountering such stressors, individuals secrete glucocorticoids and although short-term elevation of glucocorticoids is adaptive, long-term increases are correlated with higher mortality and deleterious reproductive effects. here, we used an experimental host-parasite system, social rodents acomys cahirinus and their characteristic fleas parapulex chephrenis, in a fully-crossed ... | 2020 | 31452472 |
| molecular and histologic outcomes following spinal cord injury in spiny mice, acomys cahirinus. | the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus) appears to be unique among mammals by showing little scarring or fibrosis after skin or muscle injury, but the acomys response to spinal cord injury (sci) is unknown. we tested the hypothesis that acomys would have molecular and immunohistochemical evidence of reduced spinal inflammation and fibrosis following sci as compared to c57bl/6 mice (mus), which similar to all mammals studied to date exhibits spinal scarring following sci. initial experiments used two ... | 2020 | 31820438 |
| pseudopregnancy and reproductive cycle synchronisation cannot be induced using conventional methods in the spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | the menstruating spiny mouse is the first rodent identified to exhibit natural spontaneous decidualisation, cyclical endometrial shedding and regeneration. while the spiny mouse shares several primate-like characteristics in its reproductive biology, it has not been established whether pseudopregnancy can be induced or if its cycles can be synchronised as in non-human mammals. here we describe attempts to induce pseudopregnancy and synchronisation of menstrual cycles (i.e. whitten effect) in spi ... | 2020 | 31839110 |
| comparative proteomic analysis in scar-free skin regeneration in acomys cahirinus and scarring mus musculus. | the spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus displays a unique wound healing ability with regeneration of all skin components in a scar-free manner. to identify orchestrators of this regenerative response we have performed proteomic analyses of skin from acomys and mus musculus before and after wounding. of the ~2000 proteins identified many are expressed at similar levels in acomys and mus, but there are significant differences. following wounding in mus the complement and coagulation cascades, ppar signa ... | 2020 | 31932597 |
| model systems for regeneration: the spiny mouse, acomys cahirinus. | the spiny mouse, acomys spp., is a recently described model organism for regeneration studies. for a mammal, it displays surprising powers of regeneration because it does not fibrose (i.e. scar) in response to tissue injury as most other mammals, including humans, do. in this primer article, we review these regenerative abilities, highlighting the phylogenetic position of the spiny mouse relative to other rodents. we also briefly describe the acomys tissues that have been used for regeneration s ... | 2020 | 32098790 |
| characteristics of the endometrium in menstruating species: lessons learned from the animal kingdom†. | here we have summarized what is currently known about menstruating animal species with special emphasis on non-primate species: length of their menstrual cycle, ovulation, implantation, placentation, decidualization, and endometrial characteristics. having an overview of all the possible animal models that can be used to study menstruation and the menstrual cycle could be useful to select the one that better matches the needs of the individual research projects. the most promising species to stu ... | 2020 | 32129461 |
| author correction: comparative proteomic analysis in scar-free skin regeneration in acomys cahirinus and scarring mus musculus. | an amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. | 2020 | 32433574 |
| a comparative study of sleep and diurnal patterns in house mouse (mus musculus) and spiny mouse (acomys cahirinus). | most published sleep studies use three species: human, house mouse, or norway rat. the degree to which data from these species captures variability in mammalian sleep remains unclear. to gain insight into mammalian sleep diversity, we examined sleep architecture in the spiny basal murid rodent acomys cahirinus. first, we used a piezoelectric system validated for mus musculus to monitor sleep in both species. we also included wild m. musculus to control for alterations generated by laboratory-rea ... | 2020 | 32616800 |
| exploring the role of micrornas in axolotl regeneration. | the axolotl, ambystoma mexicanum, is used extensively for research in developmental biology, particularly for its ability to regenerate and restore lost organs, including in the nervous system, to full functionality. regeneration in mammals typically depends on the healing process and scar formation with limited replacement of lost tissue. other organisms, such as spiny mice (acomys cahirinus), salamanders, and zebrafish, are able to regenerate some damaged body components. blastema is a tissue ... | 2020 | 32638401 |
| complex tissue regeneration in mammals is associated with reduced inflammatory cytokines and an influx of t cells. | while mammals tend to repair injuries, other adult vertebrates like salamanders and fish regenerate damaged tissue. one prominent hypothesis offered to explain an inability to regenerate complex tissue in mammals is a bias during healing toward strong adaptive immunity and inflammatory responses. here we directly test this hypothesis by characterizing part of the immune response during regeneration in spiny mice (acomys cahirinus and acomys percivali) vs. fibrotic repair in mus musculus. by dire ... | 2020 | 32849592 |
| successful sperm cryopreservation in egyptian spiny mice acomys cahirinus. | the menstruating egyptian spiny mouse has recently been proposed as a new animal model for reproductive health research. unfortunately, little is known about reproduction in males. this study compared several characteristics of sperm function before and after cryopreservation. epididymal spermatozoa were cryopreserved in different concentrations of raffinose and skim milk and tested for motility and membrane integrity (experiment 1). further evaluations of motility, plasma membrane and acrosome ... | 2020 | 32943139 |