David B. Morton

Recommendations for euthanasia of experimental animals: Part 2:

Working Party: Mrs Bryony Close (Chair), Dr Keith Banister, Dr Vera Baumans, Dr Eva-Maria Bernoth, Dr Niall Bromage, Dr John Bunyan, Professor Dr Wolff Erhardt, Professor Paul Flecknell, Dr Neville Gregory, Professor Dr Hansjoachim Hackbarth, Professor David Morton & Mr Clifford Warwick Correspondence to: Mrs B Close, Battleborough Croft, Battleborough Lane, Brent Knoll, Highbridge. Somerset TA94DS, UK

Stress measurements in mice after transportation.

Experiments were performed using physiological measures and behavioural parameters to find the acclimatization period in mice to common scientific procedures. Corticosterone levels were significantly elevated in mice killed immediately after being moved to an experimental room (P<0.05) but levels returned to the normal in less than 1 day, despite mice being exposed to additional stressors such as novel environment, new cages, new bedding material, separation from their cage mates, regrouping, isolation in individually housed mice and a new handler. Behaviours such as rearing, climbing, grooming, feeding and sexual, changed significantly immediately after transportation of mice but most of these behaviours stabilized relatively quickly. In spite of the corticosterone levels, our behavioural observations suggest that even 4 days were not enough to allow the mice to acclimatize fully.

Refining procedures for the administration of substances

3 Re®nement for individual routes and procedures 13 3.1 Intra-art icular 13 3.2 Intracerebral (intracerebroventricular) 14 3.3 Intradermal 16 3.4 Intramuscular 16 3.5 Intranasal 18 3.6 Intraperitoneal 19 3.7 Intratracheal 20 3.8 Intravaginal 20 3.9 Intravenous and intra-arterial 21 3.10 Oral routes 25 3.10.1 Inclusion in an animal’s food or water 25 3.10.2 Dosing directly into the pharynx 27 3.10.3 Oral gavage 28 3.11 Osmotic minipumps 30 3.12 Respiratory routes 31 3.12.1 Whole body exposure 31 3.12.2 Nose only=Snout only exposure 32 3.12.3 Mask exposure 33 3.13 Subcutaneous 34 3.14 TopicalÐdermal 35 3.15 TopicalÐocular 36 3.16 Footpad 37 3.17 Uncommon routes 38 4 Special considerations for wild animals 38 References 39 WORKING PARTY REPORT

Refinements in husbandry, care and common procedures for non-human primates Ninth report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement

Preface Whenever animals are used in research, minimizing pain and distress and promoting good welfare should be as important an objective as achieving the experimental results. This is important for humanitarian reasons, for good science, for economic reasons and in order to satisfy the broad legal principles in international legislation. It is possible to refine both husbandry and procedures to minimize suffering and improve welfare in a number of ways, and this can be greatly facilitated by ensuring that up-to-date information is readily available. The need to provide such information led the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVAAWF), the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) to establish a Joint Working Group on Refinement (JWGR) in the UK. The chair is Professor David Morton and the secretariat is provided by the RSPCA. This report is the ninth in the JWGR series. The RSPCA is opposed to the use of animals in experiments that cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm and together with FRAME has particular concerns about the continued use of non-human primates. The replacement of primate experiments is a primary goal for the RSPCA and FRAME. However, both organizations share with others in the Working Group, the common aim of replacing primate experiments wherever possible, reducing suffering and improving welfare while primate use continues. The reports of the refinement workshops are intended to help achieve these aims. This report produced by the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVAAWF)/Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME)/Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)/Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Joint Working Group on Refinement (JWGR) sets out practical guidance on refining the husbandry and care of non-human primates (hereinafter primates) and on minimizing the adverse effects of some common procedures. It provides a valuable resource to help understand the physical, social and behavioural characteristics and needs of individual primates, and is intended to develop and complement the existing literature and legislative guidelines. Topics covered include refinements in housing, husbandry and common procedures such as restraint, identification and sampling, with comprehensive advice on issues such as primate communication, assessing and facilitating primate wellbeing, establishing and maintaining social groups, environmental and nutritional enrichment and animal passports. The most commonly used species are the key focus of this resource, but its information and recommendations are generally applicable to other species, provided that relevant individual species characteristics are taken into account.

Corticosterone, adrenal and spleen weight in mice after tail bleeding, and its effect on nearby animals

Experiments were performed in mice to study if stress was involved in tail bleeding and to investigate any transmittable signal at killing. A second study looked at the time taken to recover from stress elicited by these procedures. Corticosterone levels were significantly higher in mice immediately after the completion of tail bleeding than in control mice (P<0.05) suggesting that tail bleeding in mice was stressful. This study did not show any evidence for an odour or sound being released during killing or tail bleeding as there was no significant effect on corticosterone levels in mice present in the same room at the time these procedures were carried out. Corticosterone levels in mice killed on days 1, 3, and 7 after tail bleeding were significantly lower (P<0.05) than the average corticosterone level in tail blood on day 1, indicating that mice recovered within 24 h from the stress of tail bleeding.

Degrees of aversion shown by rats and mice to different concentrations of inhalational anaesthetics

The distress associated with the induction of anaesthesia with halothane, isoflurane, enflurane and carbon dioxide was investigated in rats and mice by measuring the level of aversion they displayed on exposure to low, medium and high concentrations of these agents. The animals were exposed to each agent in a test chamber containing air or gas mixtures, which they were able to enter and leave at will, and the level of aversion was assessed in terms of the initial withdrawal and total dwelling times in the chamber. Comparisons between the anaesthetic and air-control treatments indicated that concentrations of the agents recommended for the rapid and efficient induction of anaesthesia were associated with some degree of aversion. Carbon dioxide was by far the most aversive gas for both rats and mice, with the least aversive being halothane for rats, and halothane and enflurane for mice. With all the anaesthetics, the level of aversion increased as the concentration increased.

Refinement and reduction in production of genetically modified mice

Die neueste Sondemummer von Laboratory Animals enthalt den sechsten Report der BVAAWIFRAME/RSPCA/UFAW1 Joint Working Group on Refinement. Der fiir den Bericht zustandigen working party gehoren 12 Mitglieder an, die alle in England (UK) domiziliert sind; ihr Vorsitzender ist David Morton (Medizinische Fakultat der Universitat Birmingham), die Berichts-Redaktorin und Korrespondenz fiihrende Person Vicky Robinson (Research Animals Department der RSPCA). Auf 50 Seiten wird ein umfassender Report vorgelegt, der in 22 inhaltlichen Kapiteln (fast) jedes Detail bespricht, das im Zusammenhang mit transgenen Tieren denkbar ist, und der auf wichtige weiterfiihrende Literatur hinweist. In einigen Kapiteln werden sogar sehr konkrete Angaben dariiber gemacht, wie optimal vorzugehen ist. So z.B. in Kapitel 10 (Anasthesie, Analgesie und perioperative Betreuung), wo Produkteund Dosierungsempfehlungen gemacht werden, wohl versehen mit den notwendigen Ermahnungen zur Vorsicht und sorgfaltigen Abklarung im konkreten Einzelfall. Am Ende jedes Kapitels bzw. Unterkapitels stehen in knapper Zusammenfassung und fett gedruckt die jeweiligen Empfehlungen. Entsprechend der hohen Komplexitat der Materie summieren sich diese Empfehlungen bis zum

The Use of Cage Enrichment to Reduce Male Mouse Aggression

The complete cleaning of cages has been shown to reduce the level of intermale aggression in mice. This study investigated the effects of the addition of enrichment objects on postcage-cleaning aggression in male BALB/c mice. Enrichment objects were found to significantly reduce aggressive interactions during this period for up to 7 weeks and can make an overall economic saving to husbandry costs.

Effects of acute and chronic restraint on the adrenal gland weight and serum corticosterone concentration of mice and their faecal output of oocysts after infection with Eimeria apionodes

Experiments were designed to investigate the potential stress of procedures commonly used for restraining mice and to discover whether habituation of the adrenocortical response occurred when chronic restraint was used. The study also examined the effect of chronic restraint on the faecal output of oocysts by mice trickle infected with Eimeria apionodes. The results showed that restraining mice for one hour was stressful and that restraining them repeatedly for one hour daily for seven or 21 days did not lead to habituation of the adrenocortical response. Restraint for one hour daily for seven days did not cause the recurrence of a clinical infection in mice which were chronically infected with E apionodes. Restraining mice for one hour daily for seven days before and for 14 days during the infection also had no effect on the prepatency, patency or intensity of an E apionodes infection.

What do European veterinary codes of conduct actually say and mean? A case study approach

Codes of Professional Conduct (CPCs) are pivotal instruments of self-regulation, providing the standards to which veterinarians should, and sometimes must, comply. Despite their importance to the training and guidance of veterinary professionals, research is lacking on the scope and emphasis of the requirements set out in veterinary CPCs. This paper provides the first systematic investigation of veterinary CPCs. It relies on a case study approach, combining content and thematic analyses of five purposively selected European CPCs: Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), Denmark, Ireland, Portugal and the UK. Eight overarching themes were identified, including ‘definitions and framing concepts’, ‘duties to animals’, ‘duties to clients’, ‘duties to other professionals’, ‘duties to competent authorities’, ‘duties to society’, ‘professionalism’ and ‘practice-related issues’. Some differences were observed, which may be indicative of different approaches to the regulation of the veterinary profession in Europe (which is reflected in having a ‘code of ethics’ or a ‘code of conduct’), cultural differences on the status of animals in society, and regulatory bodies’ proactivity in adapting to professional needs and to societal changes regarding the status of animals. These findings will contribute to an improved understanding of the roles of CPCs in regulating the veterinary profession in Europe.