Laboratory Animals最新文献

Inbred mouse strains have long proved useful as tools for biomedical research. They remove the effects of genetic background as an experimental variable. Within all mouse colonies, genetic drift is a recognised phenomenon and monitoring and documenting changes is important for experimental design and consistency. This communication documents the initial characterisation through SNP analysis of the inbred mouse strains bred and used at the time at the Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research (MRC-NIMR), Mill Hill, now The Crick Institute. These inbred strains were part of the foundation colonies for the many genetically modified mouse strains made at Mill Hill. We found small genetic changes in four of the nine inbred strains. Although phenotypic differences have not yet been found between the NIMR and the correspondent parental strains, I cannot discard that these may arise or have already arisen. This work has also authenticated the 129/SvJEvNimr-Gpi1^c strain that was widely used at MRC-NIMR for gene targeting. All these inbred strains have been renamed according to The International Committee on Standardized Genetic Nomenclature for Mice.

When diagnostic tests became available for the detection of mouse kidney parvovirus (MKPV), also known as murine chapparvovirus (MuCPV), we undertook a facility-wide screening to determine the prevalence of this novel agent in the Animal Resources Centre. MKPV was present only in the Customs Strains, specific-pathogen-free (SPF) barrier area, which was the only animal holding area that received mice imports directly from non-approved vendors. Based on this information, the knowledge and understanding of the viral epizootiology, and the testing methods available, we decided to eradicate MKPV after consultation with the researchers impacted. To eradicate MKPV from the barrier, we took a multi-modal approach composed of testing and separating positive and negative cages; and cross-foster (XF) rederivation. The test and separate approach was unsuccessful due to the animal housing and husbandry set up in the SPF barrier area given that MKPV is an environmentally stable and highly infectious agent. However, with an XF rederivation method, we were able to successfully rederive 11 out of 16 litters of various genetically modified lines that remained MKPV negative over a 20-week testing period. Our trial indicates that XF rederivation techniques, coupled with strict disinfection, can be used for a growing list of viral and other infectious agents that are highly infectious and persistent in the environment.

Animal care and use personnel in research laboratory facilities are inherently exposed to a variety of workplace hazards. The health and safety of the workforce working directly with or around research animals is of paramount importance, and as such, an occupational health and safety program for at-risk staff is essential. In order to maximize participation in and the effectiveness of health and safety training and occupational health program enrollment for animal care and use personnel at an academic health sciences university, an innovative annual "health fair" was developed and implemented at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. This event allows personnel working in positions that present exposure risk to research animals to be able to obtain hazard-specific health and safety training, re-enroll in the occupational health oversight program and update their medical history, and participate in the institution's other safety programs as required by job title or assigned job tasks. By providing a comprehensive health fair that offers convenient access to the necessary safety training and occupational health services in one location during a designated period of time, management and staff are incentivized to participate and have reported satisfaction with and appreciation of the convenient access. Summarized here is how we plan, organize, and effectively execute the annual health fair so that other institutions who might wish to use this strategy can learn from our approach.

The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed account of our successful experience in establishing a functional zebrafish holding facility by repurposing materials from a previous installation. On the eve of the start-up of our new animal facility we were notified that a research centre was putting part of its zebrafish holding facility (29 racks, accessories, water treatment unit) up for sale. Although the originally planned room was designed for six double racks, but encouraged by the increasing use of the zebrafish model, we decided to seize the opportunity, purchase the equipment and utilize it to create a larger configuration and an independent quarantine to protect the main facility. This decision inevitably led to extra expenses and situations, such as reinforcing the floor in the new location for the main facility, constructing an adjacent shelter for quarantine and adapting the racks. In spite of the additional costs, we consider the purchase and adaptation of this second-hand equipment for our facility to have been a success, and it has proven to be much more advantageous than acquiring brand new equipment. We trust that our experience will be of benefit to colleagues undertaking similar initiatives.

Increasing use of pigs as models in translational research, and growing focus on animal welfare are leading to better use of effective analgesics and anaesthetics when painful procedures are performed. However, there is a gap in basic knowledge such as pharmacokinetics of different anaesthetics in these species. The main objective of our study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine in domestic pigs. Twelve female grower pigs weighing 31.17 ± 4.6 kg were subjected to general anaesthesia and experimental surgery, at the end of which they received 1 mg/kg levobupivacaine via peri-incisional subcutaneous infiltration. Plasma samples were collected before administration of levobupivacaine and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h thereafter. Concentrations of levobupivacaine were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Following single dose of levobupivacaine, all animals had measurable plasma concentrations 0.5 h after drug administration, with most peak concentrations observed at the 1-h time point. In all 12 animals, levobupivacaine was below the limit of quantification 48 h after drug administration. The mean maximum plasma concentration, area under the curve and half-life were determined to be 809.98 μg/l, 6552.46 μg/l h and 6.25 h, respectively. Plasma clearance, volume of distribution and weight-normalized volume of distribution were 4.41 l/h, 35.57 l and 1.23 l/kg, respectively. Peak plasma concentrations in our study were well below concentrations that were found to produce toxicity in pigs.

The rat is one of the most employed animal models in biomedicine. Traditionally, weight gain has been utilized to gauge development and compare across species. Numerous studies have conducted longitudinal analyses of rat development, with emphasis on weight gain analysis. Given the high variability in these patterns, experimental data from a single laboratory may not be reliable for generalized estimation. This study aimed to analyze the effect of different factors on the pattern of weight gain during rat development. A literature survey was conducted to compile a database comprising nearly 300 data points of age and weight from 15 longitudinal studies. The database comprised both pre- and postnatal data. Utilizing the Gompertz equation, the data was analyzed to formulate a comprehensive model describing rat development. Differences in growth patterns became increasingly evident at later developmental stages, when significant differences in the maximum asymptote between sexes and strains were reached.

Novel interventions for seroma prevention are urgently needed in clinical practice. Animal models are pivotal tools for testing these interventions; however, a significant translational gap persists between clinical and animal model outcomes. This systematic review aims to assess the methodological characteristics and quality of animal models utilized for seroma prevention. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the expected seroma incidence rate for control groups and determine the effect size of typical interventions. We systematically retrieved all studies describing animal models in which seroma formation was induced. Methodological characteristics, risks of bias, and study quality were assessed. Seroma volume and -incidence data were used for the meta-analysis. In total, 55 studies were included, with 42 eligible for meta-analysis. Rats (69%) were the most frequently used species, with mastectomy (50%) being the predominant surgical procedure in these models. Despite significant risks of bias across all studies, an improving trend in reporting quality per decade was observed. The meta-analysis revealed an average seroma incidence of 90% in typical control groups. The average intervention halved the seroma incidence (RR = 0.49; CI 0.35, 0.70) and significantly reduced seroma volume (SMD = -3.31; CI -4.21, -2.41), although notable heterogeneity was present. In conclusion, animal models for seroma prevention exhibit methodological flaws and multiple risks of bias. Implementing sufficiently powered positive and negative control groups could improve the internal validity of these models. More research is needed for further development of animal seroma models.

There has been intense focus on improving the quality of animal research in recent times. An emerging concept of a 'culture of care' has been proposed as another important pillar to enhance scientific quality, with staff well-being being a critical aspect. Professionals working with research animals can face moral and psychological burdens and are at risk of experiencing work-related stress. However, data on the global prevalence of stress in this population is limited. Equally, it is not clear how these stresses manifest, and what impact they might have on an individual's workplace performance and research quality. The purpose of this review was to identify work-related stress, its prevalence, and map evidence on strategies to mitigate stresses. We also set out to identify studies assessing the association between work-related stress and research quality. A systematic search was conducted across four databases, in addition to hand searching relevant references. We included peer-reviewed publications describing work-related stress, culture of care and laboratory animal professionals. A total of 49 publications were included for data mapping. Compassion fatigue was the most frequently described work-related stress, and its prevalence across Europe and North America is likely to be widespread. Multiple strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and work-related stress were put forward, however, limited empirical evidence was available to assess success. Moreover, no studies reported empirical data linking work-related stress with research quality, despite several publications stating the case. Further population-specific research and measured assessments are urgently needed to deliver culture of care programmes to improve human well-being, animal welfare and research quality.

This document provides assessment criteria for evaluation of each of the Learning Outcomes of the Modules specified (in addition to the Core Modules) for those designing procedures and projects in the Education and Training Framework guidance document by the European Commission and endorsed by the Member States Competent Authorities. This Working Group was tasked to produce these criteria by the Education & Training Platform for Laboratory Animal Science, which was funded by the European Commission to this aim. The assessment criteria address knowledge and skills (including critical thinking) expected to be acquired during education and training of persons preparing to design research procedures and projects using animals under the scope of Directive 2010/63/EU. Recognizing the diversity of expertise and experiences of those being educated and trained, we provide two levels of attainment, an ideal response and one that would be acceptable for each Learning Outcome. The balance between ideal and acceptable could be decided by the particular course providers and/or assessors, according to their local requirements. We envisage that the use of these assessment criteria by training providers and accrediting or approving bodies will help harmonize the education and training for those who will design procedures and projects using animals for scientific purposes. In Europe, this may also contribute to mutual recognition of training, and facilitate free movement of scientists.