Materials and Methods
Animals
Female and male 6 - 8 week and 6 m onth old
outbred Swiss mice with mean body weights of
28.5 gram were housed in groups of 4 animals under
standardized conventional conditions (room
tem perature 22 °C ± 2°, relative humidity
60% ± 10, light-dark-rhythm 12:12 h, air exchange
12-15 times per h) on a bedding of wood
shavings in polycarbonate cages (Makrolon®, type
II). Standardized pelleted food T 779 (Tagger,
Graz, Austria) and drinking water were provided
ad libitum.