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Lactating Rats Retain Nursing Behavior and Maternal Care in SpaceIn 1997, suckling mammals were flown in space for the first time as part of the NIH.R3 experiment sponsored jointly by NIH (National Institutes of Health) and NASA. Six rat dams and litters (Rattus norvegicus) were launched on an eight-day Space Shuttle mission at each of three postnatal ages (P5, P8, and P15). Dams and litters (N = 10 pups/litter) were housed within modified Animal Enclosure Modules (AEMs). Comparisons were made to ground controls. Dams and litters were videotaped daily in flight. The P8 and P15 flight litters showed excellent survival (99%) and weight gain relative to AEM ground controls, whereas P5 litters showed reduced survival (0% and 60%, respectively) and weight gain (less than 40% AEM). To examine the possibility that failures of maternal care contributed to P5 results, we analyzed the dams' in-flight nursing, licking and retrieving from four video segments ranging from twelve to fifteen minutes in length with control data derived from multiple ground segments. Video analyses revealed clear evidence of maternal care in flight. For P5 dams, frequency and duration of nursing and licking bouts fell within or above one standard deviation of control values. Retrieving was noted in the P5 and P8 groups only. The observed results suggest that factors other than maternal care contributed to the low survival rates and body weight gains of the P5 flight offspring.
Document ID
20020046929
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Daly, Megan E.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Ronca, April E.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Dalton, Bonnie
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Society of Developmental Psychobiology
Location: San Diego, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: November 7, 2001
End Date: November 10, 2001
Sponsors: International Society of Developmental Psychobiology
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 121-10-40
CONTRACT_GRANT: NIMH-MH-46485
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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