Origin
Lewis rats: Tokyo Medical Insitute -> Seiwa Institute of Experimental Animals, Hydrocephalus was found the rats at F27 in 1980 -> Dr. Yasutaka Noda at Center for Animal Experiments, Kurume University, The hydrocephalus rat strains have been maitained out by selective breeding.
Strain characteristics
Congenital hydrocephalus. Appearance of hydocephalus rats: about 33% in males, about 13 % in females.
Breeding Conditions
For an optimal breeding performance, 20% of the colony should develop hydrocephalus. Selection for higher disease occurrence reduces breeding efficiency due to infertle animals.
References
・小児の脳神経９（４）：257-264,1984 ラットにおける先天性水頭症の実験モデル
・脳神経３７（１１）：1053-1057,1985 先天性水頭症ラット（LEW/Jms）における脳組織障害について
・小児の脳神経１２（１）：1-9,1987 先天性水頭症ラット脳の病理学的観察
・脳神経４２（６）：539-545,1990 先天性水頭症ラット脈絡叢における心房性ナトリウム利尿ペプチド受容体の変動