Inhoud
1. General Introduction laboratory animal science.............................................................. 2
2. Historical overview ....................................................................................................... 3
Rising of Christianity ......................................................................................................... 3
Second half of the 19th century; important increase in animal use ........................................ 3
After WOI ......................................................................................................................... 4
3. Legislation ................................................................................................................... 4
Overview of the national and European legislation .............................................................. 4
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY…. ............................................................................................ 5
What do you need before starting animal experiments? ...................................................... 6
What else is there? ........................................................................................................... 6
4. Safety and animal experimental work ............................................................................. 6
What are the possible hazards?......................................................................................... 7
Physical hazards .............................................................................................................. 7
Allergy ............................................................................................................................. 7
Chemical and protocol related hazards ............................................................................10
Zoonosis ........................................................................................................................12
To conclude ....................................................................................................................13
5. Zootechnique of different species .................................................................................13
Mice and rats ..................................................................................................................14
Hamsters .......................................................................................................................17
Guinea pigs ....................................................................................................................19
Rabbits...........................................................................................................................20
Xenopus laevis ................................................................................................................21
Zebrafish ........................................................................................................................22
Pigs ................................................................................................................................23
6. Housing of laboratory animals ......................................................................................24
Legislation and environmental parameters .......................................................................24
Cages and environmental enrichment ..............................................................................26
Special housing systems .................................................................................................29
To conclude… .................................................................................................................34
7. Hygiene, pathology and microbiological standardization ................................................34
, Hygiene ..........................................................................................................................34
Pathology and microbiological standardization .................................................................37
Disease management......................................................................................................43
8. Anesthesia - Analgesia – Euthanasia .............................................................................46
Inhalation anesthesia ......................................................................................................46
Injection anesthesia ........................................................................................................49
Anesthesia .....................................................................................................................50
Sedation .........................................................................................................................52
Premedication ................................................................................................................53
Muscle relaxation ............................................................................................................53
Pain and post operative care ............................................................................................53
9. Humane Endpoints – Euthanasia ..................................................................................55
10. Severity assessment ................................................................................................56
Severity classification ......................................................................................................57
Factors influencing severity .............................................................................................58
Actual & prospective severity ...........................................................................................59
Assessing severity in practice...........................................................................................59
11. Behaviour and Well-being ........................................................................................60
Behaviour, stress and well-being ......................................................................................60
Species-specific behaviour ..............................................................................................61
Interaction between animal and environment....................................................................62
Predictability and manipulation ........................................................................................62
Definition of stress ..........................................................................................................63
Stress as an adaptive mechanism ....................................................................................63
Adaptability and individual differences .............................................................................63
Measuring well-being ......................................................................................................63
12. Experimental techniques .........................................................................................64
Identification of animals ..................................................................................................64
Administration routes ......................................................................................................65
Withdrawal techniques ....................................................................................................67
1. General Introduction laboratory animal science
animal science
- multidisciplinary quality of research
- well-being of the laboratory animals
,by increasing the knowledge of different aspects of laboratory animals
- contributes to the reliability and reproducibility of the results
- decrease of discomfort for the animals
ECD paper and workshop!
2. Historical overview
The use of laboratory animals = development of medical science
Als de wetenschap groeit zullen de experiment op dieren mee toenemen.
- Hippocrates
accent on anatomy -> vivisection (there was no anaesthesia)
- Galenus
physiology -> animal accepted as a model for men.
Rising of Christianity
no research for centuries -> no animals were used
Renaissance
urge to increase knowledge -> non anaesthetized animal experiments
“The animal is like a mechanic object that lives because of physical and chemical laws,
without conscience and not capable of feeling pain.” – Descartes
you can freely use animals for experiments
Andreas Vesalius
Anatomy of humans, hij toonde overeenkomsten tussen de ruggenmerg en verlamming
door het ruggenmerg van dieren door te snijden.
William Harvey
Animal is seen as an important source of information, for example knowledge of blood
and valves.
Second half of the 19th century; important increase in animal use
Anaesthetics!
Darwin; origin of species -> biological similarities between humans and animals
-> scientific base or the use of animals as model for humans.
Claude Bernard
functioning of organs
Emergence of microbiology
Robert Koch -> pathogenicity through infection experiment on animals
Louis Pasteur -> development of vaccines and antisera
, After WOI
Production of pharmaca
development of new disciplines
strong increase in the number of laboratory animals
Shift in type of species used -> until 19th century dogs, cats rabbits and pigs
-> later rodents, rats and mice
Legal obligation to test compounds in animals before use in clinical studies
1876 first legislation concerning the use of animals in research (cruelty to animals act).
countermovement’s against experimenting with animals, animal liberation movement and
animal rights movement.
3. Legislation
Numbers of animals used in science;
- 100million wordwide
- 20 million VS
- 12 million EG
- 626.742 Belgium
77% rodents, 8% rabbits, 11% fish amphibians and reptiles, 4% birds, 0.6% farm
animals, 0.09% dogs, 0.05% cats and 0.002% primates.
Use of laboratory animals is fluctuating;
Development of;
o Alternatives
o Ethics
o Legislation
o More responsible use
o High costs
➔ Decrease
Development of;
o Transgenic animals
➔ Increase
Overview of the national and European legislation
- European Convention for protection vertebrate animals
- Belgian law concerning the protection and the well-being of animals
- Royal Decree concerning the protection of laboratory animals
Recent changes in law
- New Belgian Royal Decree 2010 even stricter rules concerning housing
- New European Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes
1. General Introduction laboratory animal science.............................................................. 2
2. Historical overview ....................................................................................................... 3
Rising of Christianity ......................................................................................................... 3
Second half of the 19th century; important increase in animal use ........................................ 3
After WOI ......................................................................................................................... 4
3. Legislation ................................................................................................................... 4
Overview of the national and European legislation .............................................................. 4
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY…. ............................................................................................ 5
What do you need before starting animal experiments? ...................................................... 6
What else is there? ........................................................................................................... 6
4. Safety and animal experimental work ............................................................................. 6
What are the possible hazards?......................................................................................... 7
Physical hazards .............................................................................................................. 7
Allergy ............................................................................................................................. 7
Chemical and protocol related hazards ............................................................................10
Zoonosis ........................................................................................................................12
To conclude ....................................................................................................................13
5. Zootechnique of different species .................................................................................13
Mice and rats ..................................................................................................................14
Hamsters .......................................................................................................................17
Guinea pigs ....................................................................................................................19
Rabbits...........................................................................................................................20
Xenopus laevis ................................................................................................................21
Zebrafish ........................................................................................................................22
Pigs ................................................................................................................................23
6. Housing of laboratory animals ......................................................................................24
Legislation and environmental parameters .......................................................................24
Cages and environmental enrichment ..............................................................................26
Special housing systems .................................................................................................29
To conclude… .................................................................................................................34
7. Hygiene, pathology and microbiological standardization ................................................34
, Hygiene ..........................................................................................................................34
Pathology and microbiological standardization .................................................................37
Disease management......................................................................................................43
8. Anesthesia - Analgesia – Euthanasia .............................................................................46
Inhalation anesthesia ......................................................................................................46
Injection anesthesia ........................................................................................................49
Anesthesia .....................................................................................................................50
Sedation .........................................................................................................................52
Premedication ................................................................................................................53
Muscle relaxation ............................................................................................................53
Pain and post operative care ............................................................................................53
9. Humane Endpoints – Euthanasia ..................................................................................55
10. Severity assessment ................................................................................................56
Severity classification ......................................................................................................57
Factors influencing severity .............................................................................................58
Actual & prospective severity ...........................................................................................59
Assessing severity in practice...........................................................................................59
11. Behaviour and Well-being ........................................................................................60
Behaviour, stress and well-being ......................................................................................60
Species-specific behaviour ..............................................................................................61
Interaction between animal and environment....................................................................62
Predictability and manipulation ........................................................................................62
Definition of stress ..........................................................................................................63
Stress as an adaptive mechanism ....................................................................................63
Adaptability and individual differences .............................................................................63
Measuring well-being ......................................................................................................63
12. Experimental techniques .........................................................................................64
Identification of animals ..................................................................................................64
Administration routes ......................................................................................................65
Withdrawal techniques ....................................................................................................67
1. General Introduction laboratory animal science
animal science
- multidisciplinary quality of research
- well-being of the laboratory animals
,by increasing the knowledge of different aspects of laboratory animals
- contributes to the reliability and reproducibility of the results
- decrease of discomfort for the animals
ECD paper and workshop!
2. Historical overview
The use of laboratory animals = development of medical science
Als de wetenschap groeit zullen de experiment op dieren mee toenemen.
- Hippocrates
accent on anatomy -> vivisection (there was no anaesthesia)
- Galenus
physiology -> animal accepted as a model for men.
Rising of Christianity
no research for centuries -> no animals were used
Renaissance
urge to increase knowledge -> non anaesthetized animal experiments
“The animal is like a mechanic object that lives because of physical and chemical laws,
without conscience and not capable of feeling pain.” – Descartes
you can freely use animals for experiments
Andreas Vesalius
Anatomy of humans, hij toonde overeenkomsten tussen de ruggenmerg en verlamming
door het ruggenmerg van dieren door te snijden.
William Harvey
Animal is seen as an important source of information, for example knowledge of blood
and valves.
Second half of the 19th century; important increase in animal use
Anaesthetics!
Darwin; origin of species -> biological similarities between humans and animals
-> scientific base or the use of animals as model for humans.
Claude Bernard
functioning of organs
Emergence of microbiology
Robert Koch -> pathogenicity through infection experiment on animals
Louis Pasteur -> development of vaccines and antisera
, After WOI
Production of pharmaca
development of new disciplines
strong increase in the number of laboratory animals
Shift in type of species used -> until 19th century dogs, cats rabbits and pigs
-> later rodents, rats and mice
Legal obligation to test compounds in animals before use in clinical studies
1876 first legislation concerning the use of animals in research (cruelty to animals act).
countermovement’s against experimenting with animals, animal liberation movement and
animal rights movement.
3. Legislation
Numbers of animals used in science;
- 100million wordwide
- 20 million VS
- 12 million EG
- 626.742 Belgium
77% rodents, 8% rabbits, 11% fish amphibians and reptiles, 4% birds, 0.6% farm
animals, 0.09% dogs, 0.05% cats and 0.002% primates.
Use of laboratory animals is fluctuating;
Development of;
o Alternatives
o Ethics
o Legislation
o More responsible use
o High costs
➔ Decrease
Development of;
o Transgenic animals
➔ Increase
Overview of the national and European legislation
- European Convention for protection vertebrate animals
- Belgian law concerning the protection and the well-being of animals
- Royal Decree concerning the protection of laboratory animals
Recent changes in law
- New Belgian Royal Decree 2010 even stricter rules concerning housing
- New European Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes
