ANIMAL SCIENCE 11:067:142 - Introduction to Lab Animals

Laboratory Animal

Any animal that is used in biomedical research, testing, or teaching.

What are the two most common lab animals?

Mice and rats.

How many animals were used in research in the United States in 2010?

26 million.

How many animals were used in research internationally in 2010?

~100 million.

Laboratory Animal Science

The science and technology dealing with the procurement, breeding, care, health, and selection of animals used in biomedical research and testing.

What are the two components of lab animal science?

Lab animal care/medicine and animal experimentation.

Why is lab animal health and care important?

Experiments are useless if the animals being researched on are not physically and mentally sound.

How far back can lab animal science be traced?

Ancient Greece.

What major medicine breakthroughs occurred in the 19th century?

Vaccines, anesthetics, surgical techniques, and infection prevention.

What major medicine advances occurred in the 20th century?

Advances in chemistry, radiology, pharmacology, genetic, immunology, and molecular biology.

What year was the beginning of modern laboratory animal science?

1950.

What important group was formed in 1950?

The American Association for Laboratory Animals.

What did the American Association for Laboratory Animals do?

Recognized that animal care should be regulated; provided education and certification

In what year did the AVMA recognize Laboratory Animal Medicine as a separate disciple?

1957.

What are the two main ethical concepts regarding animal use?

Right-based and consequentialist ethics.

Right-Based Ethics

Philosophy of ethics based on theory of the rights of each individual.

Consequentialist Ethics

Judging actions solely on the basis of their beneficial or harmful outcomes.

What are the two opposing views regarding animal use?

Animal rights vs. animal welfare.

Three R's Principles

Replacement, reduction, refinement.

Replacement

Replace higher vertebrates with lower animal or non-animal models.

Reduction

Reduce animal number to optimal optimum number.

Optimum Number

Can be found through statistical analysis, and preliminary studies.

Refinement

Refine research procedures to minimize pain and suffering of procedures.

What important medical advances has animal research resulted in?

Longer, healthier lives for animals and humans.
Better understanding of nutritional sciences to enhance animal health.
Vaccines for companion animal.

True or False: Animal research is no longer a fundamental approach to the scientific method in biological and medical research.

False.

Which two animals contributed the most to fighting the COVID-19 virus?

Mice and monkeys.

Which animal was used to study the aerial spread of COVID-19?

Ferrets.

What three important facets of modern medicine were made possible due to lab animals?

Insulin, birth control, and IVF.

What three levels of regulation do lab animal laws fall under?

Local, state, and federal.

What three main layers of federal oversight are there regarding lab animals?

Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the PHS Policy, and the PHS Guide.

Animal Welfare Act (AWA)

Passed in 1966, the first federal law in the United States to regulate the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers

How does the USDA enforce AWA?

Inspecting labs and monitoring compliance through unannounced checks.

How was the AWA amended in 1985?

Mandated the establishment of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

The Public Health Service Policy (The Policy)

Covers lives vertebrates, including fish and reptiles, used in research.

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

Published in 1963, primary source of the standards and guidelines for laboratory animal care and use in the United States.

AALAS

American Association for Laboratory Animal Science

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Reviews all proposed animal experiments, inspects animal facilities twice a year, provides oversight of animal welfare.

What do researchers have to do to carry out an experiment using lab animals?

Report entire experiment to IACUC for approval.

AAALAC International

Founded in 1965 to promote uniform standards of animal care in the US labs on voluntary basis.

GLP

Governs the FDA and EPA regulations.

Federal Drug Administration (FDA)

Overseas any new drug development which involves preclinical (animal) studies.

What was AALAS first established as?

Animal Care Panel (ACP).

National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR)

Fosters a framework for animal use acceptable to scientific community and the public.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Organization for veterinarians.

American College of Lab Animal Medicine (ACLAM)

Veterinarians specialize in lab animal medicine.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Against the use of animals in research.

Rats

The first mammalian species domesticated for scientific purpose.

Outbred

Genetically variable.

Inbred

Genetically homogenous.

What are some unique features of rats?

Do not vomit and do not have canine or premolar.

Porphyrin

Red/reddish-brown substance in rat tears that indicate stress or pain.

What is the first sign of animal sickness?

Abnormal feces.

Ad Libitum

Animals are provided food at al times.

When does sexual maturity occur in rats?

5-8 weeks.

What are the outward signs of sexual maturity in rats?

Vaginal opening in female and testicular descent in males.

Spontaneous Ovulation

Ovulation under cyclic hormonal control.

What type of ovulation do rats experience?

Spontaneous ovulation.

Rat Estrus Cycle

Lasts for about 12 hours every 4-5 days.

When does fertility decrease in rats?

20-22 months in females, 16-20 months in males.

What is a sign of potential fertilization in rats?

Semen coagulation at vaginal opening.

What is the mean gestation period for rats?

21-22 days.

What is the average litter size for rats?

8-14 pups.

.What are characteristics of neonatal rats?

Weight 5-6 grams, hairless, blind, closed ears, undeveloped limbs, and short tail.

Altricial

Offspring that are completely dependent on parental care.

What is the approximate weight of an adult rat?

300-400 gram males, 250-300 gram females.

What is the most commonly used mammal in lab research?

Mice.

How do mice compare to rats size-wise?

Mice are ~1/10 the size of rats (200g to 25g).

Why are rats so susceptible to environmental changes?

Their large surface area to body weight ratio.

What is the (very narrow) thermoneutral zone zone for mice?

29.6º-30.5º C.

What can lower than thermoneutral temperature in mice cause?

Increased risk of tumor growth due to immune suppression.

When do mice reach sexual maturity?

Females around 30 days of age; males around 44 days of age.

Mice and rats have similar ______ _________.

Estrus cycles.

What is the gestation period for mice?

19-21 days.

Guinea Pig Diet

Strict herbivores.

Coprophagic

Consumption of feces.

Induced Ovulation

Ovulation only occurs as a result of mating.

How long is a guinea pig's estrous cycle?

15-17 days.

How long is a guinea pig's gestation period?

59-72 days.

What is the litter size for guinea pigs?

2-4.

What are characteristics of a neonatal guinea pig?

Mobile, fully haired, with teeth, eyes and ears open.

How percentage of lab animals used in lab research do non-human primates make up?

1/4 of 1%.

Transgenic Animal

An animal containing a gene from another organism, typically of another species.

Knockout Mice

Gene deletion with homologous recombination.

Conditional Knockout Mice

Mice with genes that can be inactivated specifically when investigators alter the environmental conditions.

Genome-Editing Technologies

Technologies that allow scientists to make changes in genetic sequences of organisms.

Bos Taurus

Cow

Ovis Aries

Sheep

Capra Hircus

Goat

Sus Scrufa

Pig

Equus Caballus

Horse

Commonly Used Research Fish

Zebrafish.

What are alternatives to animal lab testing?

Computer modeling and organ chips.