Pathogen-free Animal Housing and Care

Male A/J mice, 4 to 5 weeks of age, were housed in groups of two in an AAALAC International-approved specific pathogen-free, environmentally-controlled facility as previously described [18 (link)]. All animal studies were approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Animals were acclimated to the animal facility for one week before beginning the experimental protocols and allowed access to a conventional diet (6% irradiated NIH-31 Diet, Envigo RMS, Inc., Madison, WI). All surgery was performed under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia, and all efforts were made to minimize suffering.