Hanna-Marja Voipio

Guidelines for the veterinary care of laboratory animals: report of the FELASA/ECLAM/ESLAV Joint Working Group on Veterinary Care

Summary Veterinary professionals working in partnership with other competent persons are essential for a successful animal care and use programme. A veterinarians primary responsibilities are defined by their own professional regulatory bodies, but in this area of work there are further opportunities for contribution, which will assist in safeguarding the health and welfare of animals used in research. These guidelines are aimed not only at veterinarians to explain their duties, and outline the opportunities to improve the health and welfare of animals under their care, but also at employers and regulators to help them meet their responsibilities. They describe the desirability for postgraduate education towards specialization in laboratory animal medicine and detail the many competencies necessary to fulfil the role of the laboratory animal veterinarian. They detail the need for veterinary expertise to promote good health and good welfare of animals used in biomedical research during husbandry as well as when under experimental procedures. Regulatory and ethical aspects are covered as are the involvement of the veterinarian in education and training of others working in the animal care and use programme. Managerial aspects, including occupational health and safety, are also areas where the veterinarians input can assist in the successful implementation of the programme.

Dispersal Behavior and the Connectivity Between Wolf Populations in Northern Europe

Abstract The isolated gray wolf (Canis lupus) population of the Scandinavian Peninsular is suffering from inbreeding depression. We studied dispersal of 35 wolves fitted with very high frequency (20) or Global Positioning System–global system for mobile (15) radiocollars in the neighboring Finnish wolf population. The growing wolf population in Finland has high numbers of dispersing individuals that could potentially disperse into the Scandinavian population. About half (53%) of the dispersing wolves moved total distances that could have reached the Scandinavian population if they had been straight-line moves, but because of the irregular pattern of movements, we detected no wolves successfully dispersing to the Scandinavian population. Dispersal to the Scandinavian population was also limited by high mortality of wolves in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) management areas and by dispersal to Bothnian Bay at times of the year when ice was not present. We suggest that when a small wolf population is separated from source populations by distance, barriers, and human exploitation, wildlife managers could promote the populations viability by limiting harvest in the peripheral areas or by introducing wolves from the source population.

Reducing suffering in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)

This report is based on discussions and submissions from an expert working group consisting of veterinarians, animal care staff and scientists with expert knowledge relevant to the field. It aims to facilitate the implementation of the Three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) in the use of animal models or procedures involving experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model used in multiple sclerosis research. The emphasis is on refinement since this has the greatest potential for immediate implementation. Specific welfare issues are identified and discussed, and practical measures are proposed to reduce animal use and suffering. Some general issues for refinement are summarised to help achieve this, with more detail provided on a range of specific measures to reduce suffering.

Reducing suffering in animal models and procedures involving seizures, convulsions and epilepsy

This report is based on discussions and submissions from an expert working group consisting of veterinarians, animal care staff and scientists with expert knowledge relevant to the field and aims to facilitate the implementation of the Three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) in the use of animal models or procedures involving seizures, convulsions and epilepsy. Each of these conditions will be considered, the specific welfare issues discussed, and practical measures to reduce animal use and suffering suggested. The emphasis is on refinement since this has the greatest potential for immediate implementation, and some general issues for refinement are summarised to help achieve this, with more detail provided on a range of specific refinements.

Diurnal rhythms of blood glucose, serum ghrelin, faecal IgA and faecal corticosterone in rats subjected to restricted feeding using the diet board

Laboratory rats are generally fed ad libitum, although this method is associated with obesity and an increased frequency of spontaneous tumours. It has been challenging looking for ways to limit feed consumption in group-housed rats without any setbacks to animal welfare and scientific results. The diet board, as a method of dietary restriction, was used in the present study. Diet board feeding allows group housing and should result in enhanced welfare compared with traditional methods of dietary restriction. With respect to animal model robustness and translatability of results it is important that the feeding regime does not affect diurnal rhythmicity of biological parameters. In the present study the effects of diet board feeding on diurnal rhythms of blood glucose, serum ghrelin, faecal immunoglobulin A (IgA) and faecal corticosterone were assessed. The diet board did not alter diurnal rhythms, and adds weight to the use of this method for dietary restriction which should benefit animal health and the validity of scientific results generated from the animals.

Classification and reporting of severity experienced by animals used in scientific procedures: FELASA/ECLAM/ESLAV Working Group report:

Directive 2010/63/EU introduced requirements for the classification of the severity of procedures to be applied during the project authorisation process to use animals in scientific procedures and also to report actual severity experienced by each animal used in such procedures. These requirements offer opportunities during the design, conduct and reporting of procedures to consider the adverse effects of procedures and how these can be reduced to minimize the welfare consequences for the animals. Better recording and reporting of adverse effects should also help in highlighting priorities for refinement of future similar procedures and benchmarking good practice. Reporting of actual severity should help inform the public of the relative severity of different areas of scientific research and, over time, may show trends regarding refinement. Consistency of assignment of severity categories across Member States is a key requirement, particularly if re-use is considered, or the safeguard clause is to be invoked. The examples of severity classification given in Annex VIII are limited in number, and have little descriptive power to aid assignment. Additionally, the examples given often relate to the procedure and do not attempt to assess the outcome, such as adverse effects that may occur. The aim of this report is to deliver guidance on the assignment of severity, both prospectively and at the end of a procedure. A number of animal models, in current use, have been used to illustrate the severity assessment process from inception of the project, through monitoring during the course of the procedure to the final assessment of actual severity at the end of the procedure (Appendix 1).

Changes in Type I and Type II Collagen Expression in Rat Mandibular Condylar Cartilage Associated with Aging and Dietary Loading

AIMS To evaluate the usefulness of diet board feeding as a model for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) research, characterize dietary loading-related morphometric changes in the mandibular condylar cartilage of aging rats, and investigate changes in type I and type II collagen expression in different age, sex, and diet groups. METHODS Material was collected from a study that examined the effects of 1-year and 2-year diet board feeding on rats. In diet board feeding, rats must gnaw wood to reach their food, leading to a higher masticatory workload. The material analyzed was comprised of 150 TMJ samples from 75 Hsd:Sprague Dawley rats grouped according to feeding method (diet board [experimental group] or ad libitum [control group]), sex, and experiment length (1 or 2 years). The rats were sacrificed at the age of 15 or 26 months (15-M rats or 26-M rats). From the TMJ samples, 5-μm-thick sections were cut parallel to the sagittal plane of the mandibular condyle. Histomorphometric analysis of the thickness of the condylar cartilage and the number of cartilage cells was performed after toluidine blue staining. Immunohistochemical staining included type I and type II collagen antigens. Differences in the thickness of the cellular layer and the number of cells in the condylar cartilage were analyzed by means of a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) model, and differences in the type of collagen with a one-way random-effects ANOVA model. RESULTS Condylar cartilage was significantly thicker in the 15-M diet board-fed rats than in the 15-M control rats and in the 26-M rats than in the 15-M rats. The number of cells was larger in the 26-M female rats than in the 26-M male rats. Type I collagen expression was significantly higher in the 15-M diet board-fed female rats than in the 15-M controls. Type II collagen showed increased expression in older rats compared to younger rats. CONCLUSION Condylar cartilage is sensitive to the interplay between loading, aging, and sex of middle-aged and older rats. High loading of condylar cartilage increased the thickness of cartilage in younger rats.