As a leading CRO for CNS drug development, QPS Neuropharmacology is the premier provider for services with transgenic animals. We have more than 20 years of experience in generating, characterizing, and maintaining transgenic disease models and applying them for drug testing projects.
The mouse and rat models available for drug development in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Huntington’s Disease (HD), Niemann-Pick Disease (NPC1), Gaucher Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Schizophrenia, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), and other neurodegenerative and rare diseases allow the quantitative evaluation of compound interactions with amyloid, tau, SOD1, NPC1, TDP-43, GBA, inflammation related markers, mitochondrial deficiency and other pathologies.
Take advantage of the large assortment of rodent strains available at QPS Neuropharmacology, provide your own animals or arrange an external shipment to the QPS animal facility. Beside breeding, we also offer aging of animals, treatments, implantations, in vivo tissue collection, behavioral tests, and tissue sampling. In order to maximize the information obtained per tissue sample, we also offer in-house histological and biochemical analyses.
We provide fast in-house processing by experienced and well-trained staff, and work with highly reliable shipping companies to guarantee safe transfer of your valuable animals and samples.
The biobank can provide samples (brain tissue, CSF, organs, etc.) of our animal models for analyses in your laboratory.
Animal breeding and maintenance is performed by our trained animal keepers. Health monitoring is continuously performed by our in-house veterinarians.
Treatment routes
- Intraperitoneal
- Intravenous
- Subcutaneous
- Intranasal
- Oral (Gavage, via food pellets or drinking water)
- Intramuscular
- Intradermal
- Intratracheal
Anesthesia / Surgeries
- Implantation of osmotic pumps
- Stereotactic injections into hippocampus, cortex, ventricle, striatum or almost any other brain region to inject:
- Drugs
- Test items
- Toxins
- Viral vectors (BSL2)
Staining Techniques and Applications
We routinely perform in vivo sampling of different mouse and rat samples and tissue. Can’t find what you are looking for? We are constantly establishing new methods and would be glad to develop new methods according to your requirements.
- Feaces
- Urine
- Fur
- Dander
- Mouth swabs
- Blood
- Vena mandibularis bleeding
- Tail vein bleeding
- Cardiac puncture (terminal)
- Tail vein bleeding for immediate glucose measurements
- General health tests: Irwin test, Open field test, Nest building test, Poke hole test, Ultrasonic vocalization, Cylinder test
- Cognitive tests: Morris water maze test, Contextual fear Conditioning test, Passive avoidance test, Two choice swim test, Y-maze test, Novel object recognition test, Barnes maze test
- Motor ability tests: RotaRod test, Pole test, Beam walk test, Pasta gnawing test, Wire hanging test, Grip strength test
- Anxiety and depression tests: Elevated plus maze test, Marble burying test, Forced swim test
- Social behavior tests: Three chamber social test, Autogrooming
- Lateral lesion tests: Rotation test, Corridor test, Corner turn test
New behavioral tests are continuously developed and validated.
Please visit our pages for behavioral testing for more detailed information.
CNS/PNS + related:
- Brain further dissected into:
- Cortex (further specification e.g., entorhinal, perirhinal)
- Hippocampus
- Striatum
- Substantia nigra
- Amygdala
- Cerebellum
- Olfactory bulb
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Midbrain
- Pons/medulla
- Special dissections using a brain matrix
- CSF
- Spinal cord (cervical, thoracic, lumbar)
- Dorsal root ganglia (DRGs)
- Meninges
- Trigeminal nucleus caudalis
- Nerves e.g., sciatic, tibialis, optic
- Enteric nervous tissue
ORGANS:
- Blood (whole blood, serum, plasma)
- Intestines (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, rectum)
- Small intestines – swiss roll technique
- Colon – swiss roll technique
- Skeletal muscles (e.g., gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, quadriceps, soleus)
- Eyes – whole + parts of the eye (e.g., retina, lens, RPE)
- Lymph nodes
- Heart
- Thymus
- Diaphragm
- Pancreas
- Adipose tissue
- Liver and gall bladder
- Lung and trachea
- Bones and bone marrow
- Kidneys
- Spleen
- Skin
- Glands (mammary, salivary, pituitary, …)
- Tongue
- Testis and rete testis
- Ovary, oviduct, uterus, and vagina
SPECIFIC PROCEDURES:
- Peritoneal lavage
- Blood smear
- In vivo CSF collection
Statistical Data Analysis
- Professional statistical data analysis (unbiased and representative) of behavioral tests and body measurements performed by our team of scientists and biostatisticians
- Conscientious quality checks of measurements and results
Reporting of Experiments and Results
- At the end of each study a full study report including all experimental procedures, qualitative and quantitative assessment of the results, as well a comprehensive statistical analysis will be provided
- Constant updates throughout the study are provided if desired
Animal experiments performed at our facility strictly adhere to Austrian and EU laws and regulations. All procedures are supervised by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee of QPS Austria and follow FELASA recommendations. The QPS Neuropharmacology animal facility is fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).