CONTENT LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE
History......................................................................................................4
Safety.......................................................................................................4
Physical hazards.................................................................................4
Chemical hazards...............................................................................5
Protocol-related hazards.....................................................................5
Allergy hazards...................................................................................5
Zoonosis.............................................................................................6
Zootechnique of different species............................................................6
Rodents...............................................................................................6
Rabbits..............................................................................................10
Xenopus............................................................................................11
Zebrafish...........................................................................................11
Pigs...................................................................................................12
Housing of laboratory animals................................................................12
Legislation........................................................................................12
Environmental parameters...............................................................13
Cages & accessories.........................................................................13
Environmental enrichment...............................................................14
Special housing systems...................................................................14
Hygiene and microbiological standardization.........................................15
Hygiene.............................................................................................15
Pathology and microbiological standardization................................16
Anesthesia – Analgesia...........................................................................18
Types of anesthesia..........................................................................18
Effects of anesthesia.........................................................................24
Pain and post-operative care............................................................24
Human endpoints..............................................................................26
Euthanasia........................................................................................27
Severity assessment...............................................................................27
Severity classifications.....................................................................27
Influencing factors............................................................................28
1
, Prospective vs actual severity..........................................................29
Behaviour & well being...........................................................................29
Behaviour, stress and well being......................................................29
Species-specific behaviour...............................................................29
Interaction between animal and environment..................................30
Measuring well-being........................................................................31
Experimental techniques........................................................................31
Identification of animals...................................................................31
Administration routes.......................................................................32
Withdrawal routes.............................................................................33
Surgical techniques................................................................................34
Stages in a surgical procedure.........................................................35
Surgical instruments.........................................................................37
Surgical needles and suture materials..............................................37
Genetical standardization and transgenese...........................................38
Genetical standardization.................................................................38
Genetical uniformity.........................................................................39
Genetical quality control...................................................................45
Transgenesis.....................................................................................45
Ethics and laboratory animal use...........................................................48
Physiological background.................................................................48
Animal welfare..................................................................................50
Ethical matrix EU Dir 2010/63 & KB 29 May 2013............................50
Alternative methods...............................................................................51
Replacement.....................................................................................51
Reduction..........................................................................................53
Refinement.......................................................................................54
Feeding laboratory animals....................................................................55
Types of feed....................................................................................55
Nutrient requirements......................................................................58
Experimental design...............................................................................60
2
, LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE
Use of laboratory animals = fluctuating
Legislation
(to know = what says the law about laboratory animals)
Laboratory animal = every living vertebrate animal including free living and/or reproducing
larval forms + is used or intended for laboratory experiments. During time some invertebrae
(Cephalopoda -> squid, lobster, ...) and mammalian embryonic forms from the last third of
term were included.
o Purpose = production + control of sera, vaccines or diagnostics, toxicological +
pharmacological research, diagnose of diseases, education and to answer scientific
questions
o Taking care = daily + regular control (veterinarian or expert)
o Source = small -> purpose-bred, farm animals -> farm register!!
Animal experiment = every use of a living vertebrate animal for experimental and other
scientific purposes. It can inflict pain, suffering, discomfort or permanent injury. Every
treatment that has the purpose of the birth of an animal in such a condition, exception of
the least painful in modern practice accepted methods to kill or mark the animal and
excluding non-experimental treatments in agriculture and veterinary practice.
Animals shouldn't be used in +1 experiments that inflict serious pain (mild –
moderate – severe) and suffering. Permanent injury must also be taken into account.
The law says...
- Statistical information (per species & type of experiment) handed to government
- Responsible use: restricted to absolute minimum, purpose can’t be achieved by
other methods, under anesthesia unless pain is less than caused by anesthesia,
choice of species must be considered, animals with lowest neurophysiologic degree,
analgetic if anesthesia isn’t possible, ...
o Reduction, Replacement & Refinement (See alternative methods)
Needed before starting animal experiments
- Laboratory license (government): overview rooms, kind of experiments, the staff
(laboratory director, expert (veterinarian or principle investigator under supervision),
project leader, biotechnicians, animal caretakers) & list of species + source
- Ethical Committee permission: appropriate form -> staff, purpose + description,
number/species animals, degree + duration pain, anesthesia + analgesia, alternative
methods & human endpoints + euthanasia
3
, o Composition EC => laboratory director, project leader, biotechnician,
veterinarian/expert & independent members
o Competencies = important in EC
o Retrospective assessment & non-technical summary (inform public) were
added
- Education: following courses (# hours is different per staff level)
- Other paperwork: import license, biosecurity dossier & radio-activity use
Animal Welfare Body: advise on animal welfare + review internal operational processes
Goal = improve animal welfare & transparency => better quality
Creation of a new line (more animals in statistics) = all animals used needs to be reported
until line is ‘established’ (= genetic alternation is stable + minimum of 2 generations)
Type of projects:
- Creation or experimental project
- GS1: wildtype animal
- GS2: genetically modified, non-harmful phenotype
- GS3: genetically altered, harmful phenotype
o Performing Animal Welfare Assessment = gives information about the
possible harm that is being inflicted to the animals + try to decrease the
suffering through e.g. environmental changes (measures to alleviate harm)
Goal = More attention to effect of the DNA change to the health of
the animal and that people know better how to alleviate the pain
suffering in those animals + create bigger awareness
History
(historical overview = background -> don’t need to learn)
Safety
Physical hazards
- Trauma: sharp objects (e.g. recapping needles), machines & materials, maintenance,
lighting and ergonomic (e.g. repetitive strain injuries)
- Bite- and scratch wounds (trauma): dogs > cats > rodents
o Direct damage + risk secondary infection (culture to grow bacteria, tissue
necrosis... decided by size bite + composition mouth/skin flora)
o Cat/dog: Capnocytophaga canimorsus -> general sepsis, necrosis
4
History......................................................................................................4
Safety.......................................................................................................4
Physical hazards.................................................................................4
Chemical hazards...............................................................................5
Protocol-related hazards.....................................................................5
Allergy hazards...................................................................................5
Zoonosis.............................................................................................6
Zootechnique of different species............................................................6
Rodents...............................................................................................6
Rabbits..............................................................................................10
Xenopus............................................................................................11
Zebrafish...........................................................................................11
Pigs...................................................................................................12
Housing of laboratory animals................................................................12
Legislation........................................................................................12
Environmental parameters...............................................................13
Cages & accessories.........................................................................13
Environmental enrichment...............................................................14
Special housing systems...................................................................14
Hygiene and microbiological standardization.........................................15
Hygiene.............................................................................................15
Pathology and microbiological standardization................................16
Anesthesia – Analgesia...........................................................................18
Types of anesthesia..........................................................................18
Effects of anesthesia.........................................................................24
Pain and post-operative care............................................................24
Human endpoints..............................................................................26
Euthanasia........................................................................................27
Severity assessment...............................................................................27
Severity classifications.....................................................................27
Influencing factors............................................................................28
1
, Prospective vs actual severity..........................................................29
Behaviour & well being...........................................................................29
Behaviour, stress and well being......................................................29
Species-specific behaviour...............................................................29
Interaction between animal and environment..................................30
Measuring well-being........................................................................31
Experimental techniques........................................................................31
Identification of animals...................................................................31
Administration routes.......................................................................32
Withdrawal routes.............................................................................33
Surgical techniques................................................................................34
Stages in a surgical procedure.........................................................35
Surgical instruments.........................................................................37
Surgical needles and suture materials..............................................37
Genetical standardization and transgenese...........................................38
Genetical standardization.................................................................38
Genetical uniformity.........................................................................39
Genetical quality control...................................................................45
Transgenesis.....................................................................................45
Ethics and laboratory animal use...........................................................48
Physiological background.................................................................48
Animal welfare..................................................................................50
Ethical matrix EU Dir 2010/63 & KB 29 May 2013............................50
Alternative methods...............................................................................51
Replacement.....................................................................................51
Reduction..........................................................................................53
Refinement.......................................................................................54
Feeding laboratory animals....................................................................55
Types of feed....................................................................................55
Nutrient requirements......................................................................58
Experimental design...............................................................................60
2
, LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE
Use of laboratory animals = fluctuating
Legislation
(to know = what says the law about laboratory animals)
Laboratory animal = every living vertebrate animal including free living and/or reproducing
larval forms + is used or intended for laboratory experiments. During time some invertebrae
(Cephalopoda -> squid, lobster, ...) and mammalian embryonic forms from the last third of
term were included.
o Purpose = production + control of sera, vaccines or diagnostics, toxicological +
pharmacological research, diagnose of diseases, education and to answer scientific
questions
o Taking care = daily + regular control (veterinarian or expert)
o Source = small -> purpose-bred, farm animals -> farm register!!
Animal experiment = every use of a living vertebrate animal for experimental and other
scientific purposes. It can inflict pain, suffering, discomfort or permanent injury. Every
treatment that has the purpose of the birth of an animal in such a condition, exception of
the least painful in modern practice accepted methods to kill or mark the animal and
excluding non-experimental treatments in agriculture and veterinary practice.
Animals shouldn't be used in +1 experiments that inflict serious pain (mild –
moderate – severe) and suffering. Permanent injury must also be taken into account.
The law says...
- Statistical information (per species & type of experiment) handed to government
- Responsible use: restricted to absolute minimum, purpose can’t be achieved by
other methods, under anesthesia unless pain is less than caused by anesthesia,
choice of species must be considered, animals with lowest neurophysiologic degree,
analgetic if anesthesia isn’t possible, ...
o Reduction, Replacement & Refinement (See alternative methods)
Needed before starting animal experiments
- Laboratory license (government): overview rooms, kind of experiments, the staff
(laboratory director, expert (veterinarian or principle investigator under supervision),
project leader, biotechnicians, animal caretakers) & list of species + source
- Ethical Committee permission: appropriate form -> staff, purpose + description,
number/species animals, degree + duration pain, anesthesia + analgesia, alternative
methods & human endpoints + euthanasia
3
, o Composition EC => laboratory director, project leader, biotechnician,
veterinarian/expert & independent members
o Competencies = important in EC
o Retrospective assessment & non-technical summary (inform public) were
added
- Education: following courses (# hours is different per staff level)
- Other paperwork: import license, biosecurity dossier & radio-activity use
Animal Welfare Body: advise on animal welfare + review internal operational processes
Goal = improve animal welfare & transparency => better quality
Creation of a new line (more animals in statistics) = all animals used needs to be reported
until line is ‘established’ (= genetic alternation is stable + minimum of 2 generations)
Type of projects:
- Creation or experimental project
- GS1: wildtype animal
- GS2: genetically modified, non-harmful phenotype
- GS3: genetically altered, harmful phenotype
o Performing Animal Welfare Assessment = gives information about the
possible harm that is being inflicted to the animals + try to decrease the
suffering through e.g. environmental changes (measures to alleviate harm)
Goal = More attention to effect of the DNA change to the health of
the animal and that people know better how to alleviate the pain
suffering in those animals + create bigger awareness
History
(historical overview = background -> don’t need to learn)
Safety
Physical hazards
- Trauma: sharp objects (e.g. recapping needles), machines & materials, maintenance,
lighting and ergonomic (e.g. repetitive strain injuries)
- Bite- and scratch wounds (trauma): dogs > cats > rodents
o Direct damage + risk secondary infection (culture to grow bacteria, tissue
necrosis... decided by size bite + composition mouth/skin flora)
o Cat/dog: Capnocytophaga canimorsus -> general sepsis, necrosis
4
