Lab Animal Medicine Flashcards
What is ethics?
the way people behave based on their beliefs about what is right and wrong
What is the difference between regulations, guidelines, and aggrements/codes/concords/conventions?
legislation to ensure humane care
policies or guidance based on outside organizations with subject matter expertise or internal experience with certain types of animal research
agreements among nations concerning ethical or moral issues (UN, non-binding)
When were the first animals used in experiments?
William Harvey studied animals to discover how blood circulated in the body
What was the first animal cruelty law passed?
Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act (UK, 1822) - accusation of beating donkey in public
- AKA Matin’s Act
What caused the passing of the Nuremberg Code in 1948? What does it require?
German physicians conducted medical experiments on 1000s of concentration camp prisoners without their onsent
experiments should be designed based on the results of animal experimentation –> technically no means of enforcement
How is it determined where and how to draw the line of experimentation on animals?
- harm/benefit analysis
- conservation concerns
- ability to accomodate basic needs of animals in the research setting
- speciesism
What is the difference between contractarianism, utilitarianism, and relationalism? Animal rights?
morality is based on agreement, indirect ethical obligations to animals based on human belief
morality is about maximizing human and animal wellbeing
morality grows out of our relationship with animals and one another
good results cannot justify evil means
What animals are covered under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966? Which are not?
dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, guinea pis, hamsters, rabbits; updated to include all warm blooded animals used for research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition
mice or rats used for research
What 2 things are required under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966?
- proper engineering standards - cage sizes, temperature, humidity, transportation
- licensure - Class A animals bred for use in research vs Class B animals from random sources requiring a holding period to allow time for the animal to be claimed (no longer exist for dogs anymore)
What was added to the Animal Welfare Act under the amendment of 1985?
- investigators have an ethical obligation to minimize ain and distress, including adequate veterinary care and appropriate use of anesthetics, analgesics, and tranquilizers
- alternative to pain or distressful procedures must be considered
- if procedures cause pain or distress, a veterinarian must be consulted (paralytics without anesthesia or withholding of analgesics must be justified and minimized) + no more than one surgery unless justified
- proper exercise must be provided for dogs
- physiological well-being must be provided for non-human primates highlighted by the 5 categories of concern
What 6 organizations regulate animal use in research?
- USDA - enforces Animal Welfare Act and Regulations
- OLAW - enforces Public Health Service Policies and oversees research at all institutions receiving NIH funding
- IACUC - internal oversight
- AAALAC - voluntary accreditation, gold standard for research facilities
- NYS DOH - site inspection
- DEA
What guides are most commonly used for international and federal treatment of lab animals?
- Guide for the Care and Use of Agriculture Animals in Agriculture Research and Teaching
- Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- AVMA Guidelines for Euthanasia
- Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species
What is the AAALAC?
private, nonprofit organization that promotes humane treatment of animals in sciency through a voluntary accreditation program where formal site visits are conducted at 3 year intervals
- institutional/IACUC policies
- animal husbandry
- veterinary care
- physical plant
What does AALAC use as the guide for their site visits?
Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- represents gold standard in terms of animal care programs
- comprehensive site visits every 3 years
What is IACUC responsible for?
review and oversight of institution’s program for human care and use of animals –> upholds standards set forth by federal statutes and regulations concerning animal activities
- group of at least 5 consists of veterinarians (certified in lab animal med), scientists, non-scientists, and unaffiliated members
How does IACUC ensure places are performing ethical and legal research?
facility inspections and program reviews twice a year
What are major parts of IACUC protocol reviews?
- rationale and purpose of animal use
- description of procedures
- availability or appropriateness of alternatives
- justification of species and numb er of animals
- unnecessary duplication of experiments
- non-standard housing and husbandry requirements
- pain management
- potential for adverse effects
- impact on procedure on animals’ wellbeing
What is a whistleblower policy?
the names of people reporting an incident will be withheld and no threat or reprisal will be made against anyone reporting perceived mistreatment or noncompliance
- brought to the attention of IACUC chair
What is the difference between biomedical and agricultural research animals?
BIOMED - surrogates for humans
AG - surrogates for other animals
What are the 3 R’s?
- REDUCTION - any strategy to reduce animals being used in research
- REFINEMENT - modification of experimental procedures to minimize pain
- REPLACEMENT - avoiding or replacing use of animals in research
What is the purpose of refinement in animals used in research?
avoidance or minimization of discomfort, distress, and pain
- use of sedation, analgesia, and anesthesia
What are the 4 USDA pain categories?
- B = breeding or holding colony
- C = momentary or slight pain or distress or none
- D = pain or distress appropriately relieved
- E = pain or distress or potential pain or distress is not relieved
What is the purpose of experimental and humane enpoints when refining animal research? How is euthanasia properly performed?
- EXPERIMENTAL - planned according to experimental design, occur when scientific aims and objectives are reached
- HUMANE - describe how and when the animal will be cared for or euthanized if discomfort exceeds what is reasonable and expected, approved by IACUC (involve PI, vet, and IACUC)
according to approved guidelines described in AVMA guidelines
How has the approach to physical restraint in lab animals been refined?
- animals should be acclimated to restraint prior to the start of the study, and if they fail, they should be removed from the study
- procedures that are not part of the experimental question, but affect welfare and outcome are still assessed
- prolonged restrait should be avoided unless it is essential for achieving research objectives and is specifically approved by IACUC
What are the 2 major options for food and fluid regulation in lab animals? What should be considered?
- scheduled access - consumption allowed as desired at regular intervals
- restriction - total volume of food or fluid consumed is strictly monitored and controlled
necessary levels of regulation, potential adverse consequences, methods for assessing healthy and wellbeing of animals
What is used to determine the harm-benefit analysis?
improvement to human health and advancement fo science vs. animal distress
- required to be analyzed per AALAC
What is the difference between animal rights and welfare?
RIGHTS - animals have rights equal to humans and should not be used for their food, fiber, research, teaching, or as pets
WELFARE - animals do not have moral standing to have rights, but they should be protected by humans when used for food, fiber, and research
What is the difference between strain and stock mice?
STRAIN = over 20 generations of brother-sister matings to produce genetically identical individuals that are homozygous at every locus
STOCK = created through random mating using at least 25 breeding pairs per generation to maintain heterozygosity
What are advantages and disadvantages to using strain mice for research?
ADVANTAGES - reliable models of disease, can transplant skin grafts without rejections, good for tumor transplant research
DISADVANTAGES - does not account for genetic differences in response to disease
What are advantages and disadvantages to using stock mice for research?
ADVANTAGE - hybrid vigor (increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring)
DISADVANTAGE - less reliable models due to genetic differences
How are transgenic mice used for research?
genetically modified mice that have foreign genes inserted into their genome
can be used to determine what DNA sequences regulate the expression of a gene in specific tissues or at specific times in development –> knock-out vs knock-in, inducible (Doxycycline, Tamoxifen)
Why is enrichment important to normal physiology?
happy animals = good science
enrichment allows lab animals to exhibit their normal behaviors they would if they were out in the wild
What enrichment is recommended for mice? Rats? Voles?
MICE - nesting materials (crinkle paper), huts, shepherd sack, wheels, cage mates (social species!)
RATS - like to chew –> wood, Nylabones
VOLES - social housing, deep bedding, foraging materials, nesting materials, PVC pipes, high fiber fruits and veggies
What causes rat bite fever? How is it diagnosed? What symptoms are seen in rats and humans?
Streptobacillus moniliformis –> found in saliva, ocular/nasal d/c
send swabs of lesions, oral/nasal cavity to IDEXX BioAnalytics, which specializes in rodents and exotics
- RATS = asymptomatic
- HUMANS = flu-like symptoms –> fever, lymphadenopathy, petechial hemorrhages, polyarthritis, endocardiits
What is the difference between prairie and meadow voles?
PRAIRIE - form lasting pair bonds after mating, both parents take care of offspring, young stay in nest several weeks after weaning, selective aggression towards conspecifics –> more oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in brain
MEADOW - asocial, non-monogomous, nor pair bonding, no paternal care of young, mothers abandon pups 2-3 weeks after birth –> less oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in brain
models for attachment and bonding studies
What important considerations are taken for nonhuman primates housing?
- temperature and humidity control
- indoor and outdoor access
- durable, sanitizable, safe
- high security - use padlocks to prevent escape (must be an SOP for escapes!)
- must allow for normal postures/activities - arboreal, swinging, land dwelling
- accessories - perches, branches, furniture, shelter, places to hide/retreat, places to dominate
What PPE should be worn by researchers working with nonhuman primates?
- eye protection
- face mask, N95 respirator - protect monkeys from tuberculosis
- gloves
- gown/labcoat
What animals are commonly infected with herpes B? How is it transmitted?
Macaques
- bites
- saliva
- genital secretions
- scratches
What is the difference between positive reinforcement training and negative reinforcement training?
PRT - give something positive with correct behavior
NRT - remove unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior, good for use in a time crunch when a behavior must be learned quickly
What is the difference between an ape and a monkey?
MONKEY - tail, smaller with more narrow chests and they have hair on their face, move by clinging and leaping on branches or walking on all fours
APE - no tail, larger with wider chests and almost naked faces, bipedal, use arm swinging (brachiation) to get from place to place
What diet is recommended for nonhuman primates? What supplements should be given?
- pelleted/extruded diets (Mazuri)
- add fruits, veggies, and meat
- provide same time budget - foraging, puzzle feeders
VITAMIN D3 for New World primates + VITAMIN C for everyone
What are the major differences between New World and Old World monkeys?
NW (Platyrrhini/flat nose) - ischial callosities, cheek pouches, and sex skin is absent, may have prehensile tails, require vitamin D3 supplementation
OW (Catarrhini/broad, flat, sideways nostrils) - contain ischial callosities, cheek pouches, and sex skin, lack prehensile tails, no vitamin D3 supplementation required
What are some options for proper restraint of nonhuman primates?
- physical - hands behind back, facing away
- chemical - Ketamine, Telazol (less likely to cause rhythmic movements)
What symptoms are associated with Herpes B infection in primates?
MACAQUES - typically asymptomatic, but may see signs with stress or concurrent disease
- oral ulcers
- (blepharo)conjunctivitis
- corneal inflammation/ulcers
- facial blisters
- dystocia and fetal death
- generalized inflammation
What symptoms are associated with Herpes B infection in humans?
- vesicles at site of entry
- severe pain, itching
- regional lymphadenopathy
- double vision
- difficulty swallowing
- dizziness
fatal encephalitis –> initiate first aid within 5 min of possible exposure, clean wound (Betadine, Chlorhexidine, sterile saline) for at least 15 mins, Acyclovir with exposure until Macaque is tested
What 4 parasites cause diarrhea in primates?
- Cryptosporidium parvum
- Giardia
- Entamoeba
- Balantidium
What 4 bacteria and virus can cause diarrhea in primates?
- Campylobacter spp
- Shigella spp
- Yersinia entercolitica
- Salmonella spp
Rotavirus
What are some noninfectious causes of GI disease in primates?
- dietary intolerance
- low fiber diet
- insufficient protein in NWM
- idiopathic*
How do Shigella and Yersinia infections present in primates? What are major differences between them?
bloody, foul-smelling diarrhea + anemia
- SHIGELLA - gingivitis, recurrent = ileocecal adenocarcinoma in older Macaques
- YERSINIA - rodent problem, more common in colder months in outdoor housed monkeys
What 4 diagnostics are recommended in cases of diarrhea in primates?
- IDEXX BioAnalytics
- fecal float, direct smear
- rectal swab for bacteriology or PCR BEFORE taking rectal temperature (lube has bacteriostats in it)
- check diet - fiber content, gluten
What treatments are recommended in cases of diarrhea in primates?
- fluids - IO, IV, SQ, PO
- bland diet - rice and cottage cheese, high protein drink, rice cereal
- antibiotics, anti-parasitics
