Sham or Naive Rats - (Jun/08/2008 )

Whats the difference between naive and sham rats..

---

Term 'Sham' is generally used for sham-operated rats. Meaning normal rats operated as a control, but not the same mutants as the test or not treated in teh same way.

Naive rats are non-operated controls

Both are essentially controls, whichever you prefer. Sham is preferable.

This is important especially in immunology where surgery may change cytokine/immune cell levels, irrespecitve of other modifications.

---

Thank U Cell counter.

I have doubt that I want to clear. 'Sham' operated rats are control-operated is true but what I don't understand is they are opened up and closed or is there anything more that is done. Let's say, our intervention rats are splenectomised. Are the 'sham' rats just opened and closed or is something more done. . just mobilise the sleep or is there anything more that is done(can't think of anything to do though)

---

If you are looking for effects of splenoctomy in normal rat, your sham-rat would just be opened and closed alongwith some blunt manipulation of the viscera just as in splenectomy. Spleen would obviously not be removed.

If you are looking for effects of splenoctomy in IL-10 transgenic rat, you will also remove spleen in your control Wt rat, which will be your main control, and so you will not need a sham-operated rat, but you can still have that to deduct the impact of surgical trauma induced changes.

Beyond this, I will be out of my water, and need somebody else to jump in.

---

Thank U cellcounter.

---