Introduction Flashcards
What is laboratory animal science?
The study of
- scientific,
- ethical, and
- legal
use of animals in biomedical research.
And the optimal scientific use of animals as models for man or other species
LAS as a multidisciplinary field includes
- biology
- patho-biology
- genetics
- anesthesia
- experimental surgery
- ecology
- sociology
- ethology
LAS is divided into two sections, the..
- Basic: The quality of the aniamls as research tools
- Applied: Development, vallidation and application of animal models
Basic LAS
You need to characterise your animal model (i.e. know as much as possible about it) and standardise your experimental setup in order to minimise the between-animal variation
What is a laboratory animal?
An animal that is used for
- scientific research
- diagnostics
- development and production of medical or chemical products
- teaching
- production of animals with altered genomes
Characterisation and standardisation can be carried out on two levels, namely biological and technical.
Biological:
- health
- genetics
- social
Technical
- environment and husbandry
- experimental design and statistics
- experimental procedure
- welfare
What is the difference between the swedish definition of a laboratory animal and the european definition?
Sweden: The aim sets the definition
EU: Based on what you are doing to the animal; everthing that involves a needle
anything that causes pain, suffering or persistent harm
Work with which animals requires ethical approval?
- vertebrates
- cyclostomes and squid
- mammal and bird fetuses from 3rd trimester (e.g. chicken after day 13) and larvae that eat
- fish tagging and sample fish (since 2003)
What does NOT require ethical permits?
- Observational studies with absolutely no interfering!
- free-living wild animals
- privatley owned naimals
- zoo animals in purpose to improve welfare or to protect species
- ringing of birds
Why do experiments including lab animals require approval by the ethical board?
In order to
- do a harm-benefit analysis
- to ensure that trivial work is not done
Which is the most commonly used lab animal in Sweden (excluding samplefish)?
The mouse with about 74%
Name the 3 Rs
Replacement
Reduction
Refinement
What does “replacement” of the 3 Rs mean?
Use alternatives to animals
(orignially, also choose “lower” phylogenic rank)
What does “reduction” mean in the context of the 3Rs?
Reduce the number of animals used in the study, without affecting the outcome of the experiment
What does “refinement” mean in the context of the 3Rs?
Refine the situation for the animals used –> animal welfare without affecting the outcome of the experiment
