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Raising Japanese Quail Under Germfree and Conventional Conditions and Their Use in Cancer Research<xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN1">2</xref>

1960; Oxford University Press; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/jnci/24.6.1405

1460-2105

James A. Reyniers, Miriam R. Sacksteder,

Livestock and Poultry Management

Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica Temminck and Schlegel) have been raised as both conventional and germfree animals. The small size of this fowl and the ease with which it can be raised on practical diets demonstrate its usefulness as a laboratory animal, particularly in germfree experiments. Approximately 40 to 50 adult Coturnix can be maintained in one germfree isolator (RSU-500). Because of their relatively short generation time (about 80 to 90 days from egg to egg), it is possible to raise a colony of germfree birds. A special semisolid diet made up with 60 percent water is satisfactory for raising Coturnix. Such a diet is particularly useful in germfree isolators because there is less waste and dust and no need to supply water separately. Conventional Coturnix—birds hatched in a standard incubator and raised in the laboratory—will produce fertile eggs as early as 40 days of age. The hens continue to produce ca. 1 egg a day during the laying period, which may continue for 75 days—the period of observation—if the animals are raised in the laboratory. On the diets described the birds show good gains in body weight and good egg production. At 60 days of age the average weight of the adult female was 120 gm. and of the adult male 100 gm. The average weight at hachting was 5.6 gm. for both sexes. Similar studies are under way with germfree birds but sufficient data are not yet available for presentation. Conventional Coturnix are responsive to injection of methylcholanthrene in benzene and develop fibrosarcomas as early as 17 days after injection. In comparison, chickens require about 75 days to develop tumors under similar conditions. Quail tumors are transmissible to other quail by means of tumor-tissue homogenates. With successive passages there is a decrease in time to appearance of tumor. All of 24 conventional Coturnix tested, when injected in the breast muscle with 0.01 to 0.2 ml. of the 10−2 dilution of Rous sarcoma virus, developed tumors by the 8th day post inoculation. Filtrates of quail tumors have been transmitted to other quail and from quail to chickens.