Lab Animals Flashcards
What is sentience?
The capacity to experience pain and distress and pleasure. Fuzzy boundary- consider oysters and crustaceans. Can they suffer?
What are the 3 R’s?
Replacement, Reduction, Refinement (anaesthetic, pain relief, asepsis, good peri-operative care, etc)
What are the top 3 animals used for experiments?
Mice, rats, fish, then birds, rabbits, etc.
What is welfare?
Its state as regards its attempts to cope with its environment. This state includes how much it is having to do to cope, the extent to which it is succeeding in or failing to cope and its associated feelings.
Victorian Statistics animals excluding fish and fish used in 2011?
1.8 million animals and 800,000 fish.
How many mice used in 2011?
600,000
How many rats?
30,000
What is the current legislation in VIC?
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986- defines scientific procedure, which animals, etc.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulation 2008- defines licensing system, offences, Animal Ethics/ Approval based system, Dept Primary Industries administered, external oversight
What are the main points of legislation in a nutshell?
- No one can perform any scientific procedures with animals without a valid scientific procedure premise license
- Premises must be up to standards and on the license which is subject to audit
- No one can perform any scientific procedures without prior Animal Ethics Approval
- All persons performing any procedures on animals must first be approved as an investigator
- Subject to offences. Prosecution is possible.
- Annual reporting of procedures and animal use
What are the mandatory codes?
NHMRC Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes: 8th edition (2013)
Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Lab Mice, Rats, and GPs, and Rabbits (2004)
Pound animals code of practice
What happens with non-compliance?
Researchers and institutions can lose their right to the project, can lose their license to use animals, can be fined or jailed under the Cruelty Act Regulations
What are the Animal ethic committee requirements?
A- vet, B- scientist, C- animal welfare rep (RSPCA), D- lay person, Animal facility manager, animal welfare officer
What are defined animals?
Specified genetics, background, genotypes–> phenotype, health status, environmental conditions
What is transgenic?
Genes inserted or removed from genome
What is mutant?
Inbred mice that develop genetic mutations
What is outbred stock?
Mating unrelated mice to maintain genetic diversity
What are F1 hybrids?
Crossbreeding 2 inbred strains
What are SPF
Specific Pathogen Free
What are conventional?
Not known to be free of pathogens
What are gnotobiotic?
Known microbial flora
What are axenics?
Completely germ free
What are immunodeficient- athymic (nude)?
No T cells