H1: Legislation
1. Numbers
Worldwide: 100 million
Europe: 12 million
Belgium: 700.708 animals
1) Rodents (81%)
2) Rabbits (9%)
3) Fish, amphibians, reptiles (5%)
4) Birds (3%)
5) Farm animals (<1%)
6) Dogs, cats, primates (<0.1%)
USE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS IS FLUCTUATING DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSGENIC ANIMALS ,
DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES + ETHICS/LEGISLATION + HIGH COSTS + MORE RESPONSIBLE USE
2. Overview of national and European legislation
Belgian law: August 1986
Royal Decree: 14 November 1993 update of law
New BRD: April 2010 stricter rules concerning housing
New European Directive: September 2010 include pain, suffering, discomfort
TRANSLATION INTO BELGIAN LAW IS PENDING!
Laboratory animal= every living vertebrate animal used or intended for laboratory experiments
Including: free living and/or reproducing larval forms (axolotl)
Excluding: other foetal or embryonic forms
WHAT WILL CHANGE WITH NEW LEGISLATION?
Include some invertebrates (Cephalopoda: squid, lobster, fish)
Include mammalian embryonic forms starting from last 1/3 of term
Animal experiment= every use of living vertebrate animal for experimental and other scientific
purposes can inflict pain + suffering + discomfort + permanent injury
Including: treatment with birth of such animal as consequence
Excluding: non-experimental treatments (agriculture, veterinary) + least painful, accepted
method to kill/mark animal (humane methods)
ANIMAL SHOULD NOT BE USED MORE THAN ONCE IN EXPERIMENTS WITH SUFFERING/PAIN!
Mild pain Administration anaesthesia
Non-invasive imaging (MRI)
Superficial procedures (ear, tail biopsies)
Moderate pain Surgery under general anaesthesia + post-surgical pain
Induction of tumours + development spontaneous tumours
Irradiation with sublethal dose
Serious pain Toxicity + vaccine potency testing
Irradiation with lethal dose
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, A. Purpose of laboratory animals
a) Production + control of sera, vaccines, diagnostics
b) Toxicological/ pharmacological research
c) Diagnose of disease
d) Education
e) Answer scientific questions
NOT ALLOWED TO TEST COSMETIC PRODUCTS!
B. Housing and taking care of lab animals
1) Housing conditions + environment + feed + water + care: meet animals needs
2) Daily control of animals + environment
3) Regular control by vet
C. Source and identi fi cati on of lab animals
1) No stray pets, lost/abandoned animals
2) Purpose-bred by licensed breeding companies
3) Special demands for threatened species living in wild
DOGS + CATS + PRIMATES: MARKED INDIVIDUALLY AFTER WEANING
KEEP REGISTER OF ANIMALS COMING IN AND LEAVING LAB
D. Responsible use of lab animals
1) Restricted to absolute minimum
2) Only allowed if purpose cannot be achieved by other methods
3) Choice of species must be seriously considered
4) USE ANIMALS WITH LOWEST NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC DEGREE!
5) Never subject to pain + discomfort + suffering anaesthesia if not able to avoid not
possible: use analgesics to decrease pain/suffering
E. What do you need before experimenti ng?
1) Governmental laboratory license: list of species and source, rooms, experiments, staff
laboratory director + experts + project leaders + animal caretakers + biotechnicians
2) Permission of ethical committee: since 2001
laboratory director + vet/expert + project leader + animal caretaker + >2 INDEPENDENT
MEMBERS
3) Education: since October 2004
4) Import license: importing animals from non-EU member states
5) Bio-security dossier
6) Radio-activity use in lab animals
3. The 3 R’s
Reduction= choosing well the experimental design + standardising the lab animal population and
experimental procedures
Replacement= replacing animal experiments with another method or invertebrate
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,Refinement= gathering knowledge about biological needs of animal (apply analgesia + less
discomfort + environmental enrichment)
4. Changes in legislation
Changes in composition of ethical committee
Definition of laboratory animal has changed
Continuous education
Animal welfare body (AWB)= set up by every user, advise on animal welfare (accommodation, care
and use) + review internal operational processes scientist + vet/expert + caretaker
GOAL: IMPROVE ANIMAL WELFARE + TRANSPARANCY
ALL ANIMALS USED IN CREATION OF NEW TRANSGENIC LINE HAVE TO BE REPORTED INCREASES
TOTAL NUMBER OF ANIMALS IN STATISTICS!
Animal welfare assessment (AWA)= give info about possible harm that is being inflicted to animals
(pain + disability + short lifespan + tumors + neurological disorders) check breeding + anomalies +
abnormal behaviour
Decide whether phenotype of transgenic line is harmful or not
Try to decrease suffering through fe environmental changes
DISADVANTAGE: MORE WORK
ADVANTAGE: MORE ATTENTION GIVEN TO EFFECT OF DNA CHANGE ON HEALTH ANIMAL +
PEOPLE KNOW BETTER HOW TO ELEVIATE PAIN/SUFFERING
GS1 Wild type animals
GS2 Genetically altered animals – non-harmful phenotype
GS3 Genetically altered animals – harmful phenotype need approval of ethical committee
H2: Safety in the animal facility
1. Physical hazards
Avoid danger/risks for yourself and environment
Avoid occupational disease
Trauma Sharp objects:
- needles, glass fragments, scalpels, syringes
- NEVER RECAP NEEDLES use containers
Machines and material:
- must be maintained well
- wear protective clothing + follow safety rules
Maintenance:
- keep surface clean
- remove obstruction from emergency exit
- wet floor slippery
Light:
- don’t work in dark environment
Ergonomic hazard:
- poor posture when working at lab table + lift heavy loads
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, - repeating same movement frequently injury (repetitive strain injury)
Bite- and scratch wounds:
- minimalised by proper training
- dogs>cats>rodents cat wounds are deep (damage to tendons, bones,
joints) + dog wounds cause necrosis (good culture to grow bacteria)
- chance of infection=site of bite (better vascularisation less infection) +
extend of contamination (mouth flora aggressor + skin flora victim)
Capnocytophaga canimorsus: infection after dog- or catbite symptoms: nausea,
diarrhea, muscular pain + intravasal coagulation around wound (tissue necrosis) +
general sepsis (people with decreased resistance)
Streptobacillus moniliformis + Spirillium minus: infection after mouse- or ratbite
respiratory distress + abscesses/ general sepsis + periods of fever +
myocarditis/meningitis/pneumonia (SYMPTOMS ONLY SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER
BITE)
Most bite wounds: rodents check tetanus vaccination + have wound checked by
doctor + have vet check animal
Combustible - wood, paper, plastic
material – - inflammable gasses and liquids: alcohol, ether
fire and - liquid nitrogen
burning - electrical apparatus: lamp
Noise - animals: dogs + pigs
- machines: high pressure cleaning, washing machine
Wear ear protection (>85dB) to avoid hearing damage
Electricity - can cause shock + electrocution
- repair broken cables
Apparatus - autoclaves: regular maintenance + testing necessary
under - bottles of gas: secure tight with chain (prevent falling) + do not put in
pressure direct light
Use face protection when heating solutions
Radiation Lasers:
- hazardous for the eyes
UV radiation (255 nm):
- cannot penetrate deeper than 1 mm in biological tissue
- Acute effects: inflammation of cornea and conjunctiva of eyes (effects
reversible)
- Longterm effects: turbidness of lens, skin tumours
- NEVER USE WHEN SOMEONE IS IN THE ROOM
Ionising radiation:
a) Alpha-radiation: stopped by piece of paper uranium, plutonium
b) Beta-radiation: pass through skin, stopped by thick piece paper/plastic
c) Gamma-radiation: photons, stopped by lead
- Internal contamination: breathing, oral intake of radioactive substances
(bedding or faeces of animals)
- External contamination: radioactive source sends out ionising radiation
within space in which you are present
Work in hood + use drip trays
Prevent aerosol + dust bedding material
Wear gloves + protection screen
Follow proper training
Keep distance to source
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