Production of SPF Akita giant rabbits. ○ Yukihisa Matsuda 1 ) 、 Yoshiko shibata 1 ) 、 Keita Basaki 1 ) 、 Yasuyoshi Fukuda 1 ) 、 Yuko Tsuya 2 ) 1) Animal Research Laboratory, Bioscience Education-Research Center, Akita University, 2) JAC, The Care Taker of Laboratory Animals. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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1) Animal Research Laboratory, Bioscience Education-Research Center, Akita
University, 2) JAC, The Care Taker of Laboratory Animals
In around Daisen City of Akita Prefecture (Fig.1), rabbits for food materials have been reared since over 100 years ago. For ten decades those rabbits have been enlarged in body size through cattle fair held every year by their owners (Fig.2, 3).
History of Akita giant rabbits
Fig.1 Fig.2 Fig.3
Relationship between number and body weight of Akita giants rabbits exhibited in cattle fair of each year
BWYear
4-6kg 6-8kg Over 8kg SUM
1992 56(42%)
62(46%)
16(12%)
134(100%)
1993 65(45%)
56(39%)
22(15%)
143(100%)
1994 54(50%)
49(45%)
5(5%)
108(100%)
2013 36(42%)
33(39%)
16(19%)
85(100%)
The number of Akita giant rabbits exhibited in cattle fair are decreasing every year by decrease of farm owners.
Use the giant rabbits for animal research
We used those Akita giant rabbits(AGR) as experimental animals instead of dogs and cats in orthopedic or cardiovascular research and got good results in every research region.
JW AGR JW AGR JW AGR
Fig. 5 Tibia and femur Fig. 6 Common carotid arteryFig. 4 Body size
Diseases of Akita giant rabbits
Most of GR had infectious diseases, especially respiratory infections(Table 3, Fig 7), so it was difficult constantly to supply them to research laboratory as they were.
Fig. 7
Production of SPF Akita giant rabbits
Therefore we tried to produce SPF giant rabbits with using caesarian section and foster mother method. As a result of such trials we obtained SPF giant rabbits (JW-AKT) 20 years ago .Fig.8 shows growth curve of JW-AKT and KBL (KITAYAMA LABES., CO LTD. ). Biochemical data of serum are shown table 4. There is no different from normal
Japanese white rabbits in those values. Unfortunately we could not continue to maintain SPF colony because of reproductive
disturbance by inbreeding depression. Retrial to produce JW-AKT was difficult because of marked increase in gene modified mice.
Fig. 8
Retrial of producing JW-AKT• SPF rabbit room was secured in March 2009 as results of reconstruction
and expansion of animal facilities(Fig.9).• Large cages with W653×D653×H450mm(TECNIPLAST, JAPAN co., Ltd,
Tokyo) were used for giant rabbits(Fig.10)• Retrial of producing SPF giant rabbits started from Apple 2010.• Rabbits were fed Labo R stock (NOSAN) and drunk by Automatic
The number of Akita giant rabbits and their owners in Daisen area are decreasing every year. Valuable genes of Akita giant rabbits are in danger of extinction.
Conclusion
• In this study, we succeed with reproducing JW-AKT, and got largest female one with over 7kg at 34 weeks (Fig. 14).
• The growth curves of JW-AKT between 20 years ago group and this study group were similar and there were no significant difference in male and female body weight at 31 weeks, respectively.
• From results of this study, we considered that it will be able to maintain JW-AKT colony with using AI based on Akita giant rabbits rearing in Daisen area.
• Furthermore, we consider that the technique such as cryopreservation of sperm and fertilized eggs will be able to contribute in protecting AGR in Daisen area from anxious reproductive disturbance by inbreeding depression.