An assessment of the spontaneous locomotor activity of BALB/c mice.

The surrounding environment affects the behavior of an animal. Therefore, long-term observation of an animal's behavior in its natural breeding environment is an effective approach to predict and understand animal behavior in greater detail. Spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA), the movement of animals in their breeding environment, is one of the most important behavioral indices for experimental animals. We here established an SLA measurement system using image analyses to obtain basic data from BALB/c mice. To record the movement of the mice, we used an infrared video camera. SLA of mice were calculated by detecting their geometric center in each frame. This system could detect the mouse correctly more than 99.999% in all frames. Further, we investigated the effects of habituation, age, and sex on the SLA of BALB/c mice. Three days of habituation were required to decrease the SLA of mice placed in novel cages. The 16- and 32-week-old mice were less active than 4-week-old mice. No significant differences were detected between males and females. We also found that BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice differed in their active and resting rhythms. In conclusion, we developed an SLA measurement system and obtained basic SLA data from BALB/c mice.

The assessment of mouse spontaneous locomotor activity using motion picture.

Spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA) is a useful parameter reflecting physical and mental status of experimental animals. Here we aimed to establish a novel and simple method to assess mouse SLA using motion picture. Movement of C57BL/6 mice was continuously recorded by an infrared video camera connected with a single board computer. The geometric center of mouse outline in each frame was calculated using an image processing library, OpenCV in a programming language Python. Moving distance of the geometric center every second was utilized as an index of mouse SLA. Twenty-four hours assessment of SLA showed that mice repeated active and resting phase. Mice moved more actively during the dark period compared with the light period. Time-frequency analysis of SLA followed by unsupervised clustering classified their active and resting phase. Administration of a sedative, chlorpromazine (5 mg/kg) abolished mouse SLA for 8 h. In contrast, administration of a central nervous stimulant, caffeine (25 mg/kg) increased SLA for 3 h. In conclusion, we here established the automatic measurement system of mouse SLA using motion picture. This system is composed of common equipment and analysis software written in freely available programming language. We also confirmed that it is applicable for drug assessment.

Contributions of pharmacists through the promotion of proper drug use.

The contents of pharmacist interventions, which were carried out by the ward pharmacists in their routine pharmacy service activities, were sorted and analyzed to evaluate the contributions of pharmacists. In the ward where pharmacists were stationed, there were a total of 196 cases of pharmacist intervention. The prescription was changed in 170 cases, giving a rate of prescription change of 86.7%. The breakdown of the pharmacist intervention was as follows: "efficacy/safety", 106 cases, followed by "dosage regimen" (48 cases) and "compliance" (10 cases). Cost savings achieved during the investigation period were calculated to be 440,639 yen, and cost avoidance was valued at 1,941,847-3,883,695 yen using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC). The results of the present investigation showed that pharmacists contribute to through not only their pharmacy services, but also through the promotion of proper drug use and risk management, thereby contributing to hospital management through cost savings and avoidance.