APSC 2164 Midterm Companion and Laboratory Animal Care and Handling

Lab Animal Component of Course

How many IACUC members are required for Animal Welfare Act (AWA)

Who must appoint them

3 members, veterinarian, scientist, non-scientist/community member.

Appointed by IO

How many IACUC members are required under Public Health Service policies (PHS)

Who must appoint them

5 members, veterinarian, scientist, non-scientist, community member, 1 other

Appointed by IO

Animal species regulated by the AWA

Dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, NHP, wild warm-blooded mammal, agriculture animals used in biomedical research

How often must animal facility inspections and program reviews be conducted for AWA, PHS, and blended programs?

Every 6 months

What are the 3 R’s

Reduction, Refinement, Replacement

Reduction (3 R’s)

Reducing number of animals used (healthy animals, pre-study statistical planning

Refinement (3 R’s)

Reducing pain and distress (using healthy animals, using anesthetics, analgesics, tranquilizers)

Replacement (3 R’s)

Replacing animals with non-animal alternatives or “lower order species” (computer models, cell culture, plans or invertebrates)

What are the two ways to identify the gender of lab animals?

Anogenital distance: Measuring distance from genital papilla to anus

Finger pressure: T extrude penis

Which species requires gender identification with anogenital distance

Rat, mouse, hamster, gerbil

Which species requires gender identification with penis extrusion

Guinea pig, rabbit

Rat unique anatomic features

no gall bladder

Hamster unique anatomic features

cheek pouches, flank marking glands

Gerbil unique anatomic features

ventral abdominal marking glands

What species have incisor teeth that grow throughout life

rodents and rabbits

Which species has glandular and nonglandular areas of the stomach

rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils

Which species only have a glandular stomach

guinea pigs and rabbits

Which species only have a single pair of mammary glands

guinea pigs

Manual techniques for handling/restraining rats

Tail

Thoracic encirclement

Scruff hold

Manual techniques for handling/restraining mice

Tail

Scruff hold

Describe thoracic encirclement

In rats, hand over back, thumb behind one elbow, forefinger behind other elbow, makes forelegs cross in front of face

Describe scruff hold for rats

gather skin along back in all fingers of hand

Describe scruff hold for mice

grasp skin over scruff up to and between the ears

What are some risks with tail restraints

degloving injuries if tail is picked up by tip

What are some risks with thoracic encirclement

may prevent expansion of chest/breathing

What are some risks with scruff hold

causes distress and may prevent expansion of the chest/breathing

What are some advantages of tail restraint

quick

What are some advantages of thoracic encirclement

provides good restraint without much stress

What are some advantages of scruff hold

better restraint

Examples of animal facility risks

animal bites/scratches, physical hazards, protocol related hazards, allergens, zoonotic diseases

Risk minimization

risk/hazard identification, personnel training, use of PPE, personal hygiene, medical assessments

Sources of allergens from rodents

proteins in urine and saliva

How can rodent allergens spread

direct contact with animals and bedding, aerosois

Zoonotic agents

infectious agents (virus, bacteria, parasite, fungi) transmissible from animals to people and vice versa

How zoonotic agents enter organism

oral, topical, inhaled, bites, scratches

Fomite definition and examples

nonliving object onto which infectious organisms are attached and transported

brooms, mops, trash cans, pens, gloves, gowns, feed containers

How to prevent disease transmission through fomites

designating and keeping objects in one room only

Normal mouse behaviors

socializing, shelter, nest building, foraging, gnawing, climbing

Normal rat behaviors

socializing, reproductive, shelter, sleeping/nesting, gnawing, foraging, burrowing, learned

Abnormal mouse behaviors

infanticide, barbering, stereotypy (frequent, unnatural behaviors), ulcerative dermatitis

Abnormal rat behaviors

barbering, anxiety/fear, panic attacks, frustration, fur chewing, pacing, route tracing, bar biting

How to minimize abnormal behaviors

Provide cage mates (for social species) and environmental enrichment

Strain definition

line of inbred animals

Stock definition

line of outbred animals

Inbred animals

minimize heterozygosity, maximize homozygosity, animals as genetically close as possible, generations of brother/sister or parent/offspring

Outbred

minimize homozygosity, maximize heterozygosity, animals similar but not genetically similar, avoidance of inbreeding

Rat, mouse, gerbil estrous cycle length

5 days

Hamster estrous cycle length

4 days

Guinea pig estrous cycle length

16 days

Rabbit estrous cycle length

none, induced ovulator

Why should a female be brought to a males cage for breeding and never vice versa

Territorial reasons, males will fight females if brought into an unfamiliar environment. When males are in females cage, it’s more secure and will breed.

Two types of breeding systems

Monogamous (pair) and Polygamous (harem)

Methods to determine if rat/mouse has been bred

Sperm plug or vaginal lavage to look for sperm under microscope

Hamster length of gestation

16 days

Mouse length of gestation

19 days

Rat  length of gestation

21 days

Gerbil length of gestation

26 days

Rabbit length of gestation

32 days

Guinea pig length of gestation

68 days