Controle termohigrométrico microambiental para roedores de laboratório através da tecnologia termoelétrica: montagem, avaliação de desempenho do equipamento e teste de climatização em ratos (Rattus norvegicus) / Microenvironmental thermohygrometric control for laboratory rodents by means of thermoelectric technology: assembly, performance evaluation of equipment and acclimation in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Alexandre Martinewski

An air-conditioner for animal facility was assembled with Peltier effect thermoelectric modules. For external exchanger, had been tested: 1. external air dissipation: δt = 14°C; 16,46% of efficiency; 1212 W/h of power consumption and, 2. external water dissipation: δt = 21°C; 46,02% of efficiency; 524 W/h of power consumption. A mathematical simulation of operation, with not conditional air mixture, showed that the system can supply, with air dissipation, to ≈ 91 microisolator rat cages and to ≈ 137, with water dissipation. When compared with a freon system, the thermoelectric system shows economy of 26% in implantation and 38% in the electric consumption by generated BTU. The thermoelectric system showed too, a precision of ± 0,1°C, at experimental temperatures, what is impossible in a freon system. For animal tests, Wistar rats had been kept individually, in metabolic wire cages, without shelter, in microenvironmental system, under direct air flow at 0,6 m/s, under temperatures of 22°, 24°, 26°, 28° and 30° C (E I, E II, E III, E IV and E V). The food ingestion and the weight gain had been compared in the end of 5 days (ANOVA; Tukey-Kramer). In the total, 7 groups, 15 animals each, had been compared. For the 22°C temperature, had been used 3 groups, one experimental and two controls (C I e C II). One of them was kept in similar ambient of conventional laboratory animal rooms conditions (general diluitory ventilation, GDV) - C I. The other control group (C II) was kept in the interior of the equipment of microenvironmental ventilation, however, without the direct air flow, simulating the GDV. The gotten results demonstrate clearly that animal kept under direct microenvironmental ventilation at 26°, 28° and 30°C (E III, E IV and E V) have the same gain of corporal mass that C I group (22 ± 2°C). The E I and E II had less corporal mass gain when compared to C I (p<0,001 for the two comparisons). The weight gain for all the experimental groups, when compared to C II, presents statistical differences, except E V group, that was equal to C II. The food ingestion of all the groups was constant. The E V group presented a reduction in the food ingestion when compared with the groups C I , E I and E II (p<0,01; p<0,01; p<0,001 respectively). The E III group ingested less ration than C I (p<0,05) and E II (p<0,05) groups.

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