Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine ›› 2023, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (5): 482-491.DOI: 10.12300/j.issn.1674-5817.2023.114

Special Issue: 实验动物资源开发与利用

• Frontier Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress Report on Microtus fortis as a New Resource of Laboratory Animal

Jianyun XIE()()   

  1. Shanghai Laboratory Animal Research Center, Shanghai 201203, China
  • Received:2023-08-10 Revised:2023-10-02 Online:2023-10-25 Published:2023-11-01
  • Contact: Jianyun XIE

Abstract:

Microtus fortis (reed vole) is the only mammal known to have natural resistance to Schistosomiasis japonica. Originating from schistosomiasis endemic and non-endemic areas, as well as laboratory bred voles have the same resistance to Schistosoma japonicum. After more than 30 years of laboratory cultivation of wild reed vole, a series of progress have been made in laboratory animalization. A detailed study was conducted on biological traits including growth and development, reproductive physiology, serum biochemistry, hematological indicators and tissue anatomy. At the same time, the anti-schistosomiasis characteristics and anti-schistosomiasis mechanisms of Microtus fortis were studied. The closed Dongtinghu population of Microtus fortis (S: DTMF) cultivated by Shanghai Laboratory Animal Research Center was recognized as a Chinese laboratory animal resource by the Experimental Animal Resources and Evaluation Working Committee of the Chinese Association for Laboratory Animal Sciences in 2021. This review focuses on summarizing the research progress in the biological characteristics, standardization research, genome and anti-schistosomiasis mechanism of reed vole in the past decade, especially in the implementation of the key project in the National Science and Technology Pillar Program.

Key words: Microtus fortis, Laboratory animalization, Anti-schistosomiasis

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