Ch 2: The Animal Research Environment

What is the purpose of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals?

This document is the primary source of the standards and guidelines for laboratory animal care and use in the United States

What is the purpose of the Animal Use Protocol?

This document is written by the Principal Investigator and approved by the IACUC, that describes and justifies the use of animals for a project

What is the purpose of the PHS Policy?

This document is a Federal mandate that covers all live vertebrates used or intended for use in research, research training, experimentation, biological testing, or for related purposes

What is the purpose of the Good Laboratory Practices?

This document includes regulations developed by the Food & Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to validate and document the processes of safety testing

What is the purpose of the Standard Operating Procedures?

This document is written instructions approved by management and used to perform a routine activity

According to the Animal Welfare Act, list the three types of members who must sit on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Chairperson

Veterinarian with training or experience in lab animal medicine

Non-affiliated member

List five components of an animal care and use program for which the Guide describes standards.

Personnel qualifications and training

Occupational Health and Safety

Veterinary care

Animal environment (including housing)

Animal procurement and transportation

Surgical and postsurgical care

Alleviation of pain and distress

Euthanasia

Physical plant design and construction

Which animals used in laboratory animal research would be covered by the Animal Welfare Act?

Guinea Pigs

Rabbits

Hamsters

Gerbils

Ferrets

Wild Mice

Horses

Goats

Sheep

The chapter lists some of the requirements in the Animal Welfare Act and the Animal Welfare Regulations if covered species are used. List five of these requirements.

Register with the USDA

Appoint an IACUC

Provide training for all animal users

Maintain individual animal records

Provide adequate housing for each species and meet requirements for housing dimensions and environmental controls

Meet or exceed the sanitization standards for the cages and the facility

Provide adequate veterinary care

Provide dogs withe the opportunity to exercise

Provide psychological enrichment to nonhuman primates

Provide for the relief of animal pain and distress

Perform no more than one major surgery on an animal unless scientifically justified or medically necessary

Submit an annual report that provides the number of covered species research animals used and the “pain category” under which they were used

The appropriate use of analgesics in postsurgical animals would apply to which of the 3 Rs principles?

A. Replacement

B. Refinement

C. Reduction

D. Recycling

B. Refinement

According to the Guide and PHS Policy, what document must institutions comply with when animals are euthanized?

AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals

List two common alternatives to using animals for research studies.

Cell cultures

Mathematical and computer models

Beyond food, water, shelter, and healthcare requirements, the AWA and AWRs require that dogs have the opportunity for (1) and nonhuman primates have (2) enrichment.

1. Exercise

2. Psychological

List three differences between the PHS Policy and the Animal Welfare Act.

PHS Policy covers all vertebrates used in research (AWA does not cover birds, rats and mice bred for research)

PHS Policy has some administrative differences in its IACUC requirements

PHS Policy requires an Occupational Health and Safety program

PHS Policy requires all federal grant recipients to comply with the US Government Principles

What is the function of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee?

This is an institutional body that oversees and evaluates an animal care and use program

What is the function of the Quality Assurance Unit?

This is an institutional unit that ensures compliance with the Good Laboratory Practices

What is the function of the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service?

This is the body that administers and enforces the Animal Welfare Regulations

What is the function of the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International?

This is a nonprofit organization that accredits laboratory animal programs

What is the function of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare?

This is a body that administers and enforces the PHS Policy

Using 100 mice in a research study instead of 150 would be an example of which of the 3 Rs?

A. Replacement

B. Refinement

C. Reduction

D. Recycling

C. Reduction

Some institutions may have to comply with the PHS Policy but not with the Animal Welfare Act and Regulations and vice versa. Other institutions must comply with both. List two factors that help determine which regulations are relevant to a particular research study.

The species of animals used

The funding sources

To whom may an ALAT report suspected animal misuse or mistreatment?

IACUC Chair

OLAW

Clinical veterinarian

Director of Animal Resources

Animal Care Supervisor