Brown Norway Rats

General multi-purpose model, genetic mapping analysis, respiratory inflammation research, retinal degeneration, immune dysfunction research, aging, and organ transplantation research.

Strain Origin:

In 1930, King at the Wistar Institute captured wild rats, which were then maintained and bred by King and Aptekman.  A brown mutation occurred in one of these rat strains.

In 1958, Silvers and Billingham used these rats for sibling mating and histocompatibility selection.

In 1976, Charles River introduced the strain from the Netherlands Radiobiological Institute and named it BN/Crl.

Vital River has introduced the core group from Charles River multiple times in 2002, 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2022.

Application Characteristics:

Coat Color: Brown

Research Applications: General multi-purpose model, genetic mapping analysis, respiratory inflammation research, retinal degeneration, immune dysfunction research, aging, and organ transplantation research.

Respiratory System Research: Shows strong consistency in response as an allergy model and exhibits superior lung immune function and pathophysiology compared to other rats.

Resistant to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and autoimmune complex glomerulonephritis, making it suitable as a sensitization model.

MHC Haplotype: RT1n